


Red Bullets (Bounty Hunter Kid x Detective Reader)

by AlberonaRJ



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bounty Hunters, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Drugs, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Murder Mystery, Weapons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 14:15:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 32,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17122919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlberonaRJ/pseuds/AlberonaRJ
Summary: Plagued with trust issues and a difficult past, you work alone as a Grand City P.D. detective. But that may change with the new murder case you've been assigned to.*Irregular updates and will contain some violence and lemons in later chapters**I don't own one piece or cover art*





	1. Chapter 1

A manila folder stuffed with paperwork gathered over the last 2 months was dropped onto the desk, where a secretary swiftly picked it up and walked out to go file it.

"Great job (l/n)! You closed another case." Chief Sengoku said, leaning back in his swivel chair.

"Thank you sir. I'm just doing what I do best." You replied with a small smile.

"I bet you'd do even better with a partner." He remarked.

"I work more efficiently alone, sir."

"You should still consider working with someone sometimes. You can only take on so much." The older male stated.

You had nothing more to say. Sengoku knew you preferred to work alone. There weren't any rules in the department stating you couldn't. However, just because you were allowed to work alone didn't mean he felt comfortable with it.

After a few moments of silence he sighed and waved you off. "Go on, get back to work detective."

With a nod you walked out of his office and headed for your desk. You had only just sat down when Officer Ussop bolted over.

"Y/n! I heard you closed another case! Awesome!" Said the long nose male.

"What can I say, I'm a natural." You replied.

"We should celebrate! When's the last time you came out and celebrated with the gang?"

"I have a bit more paperwork to do. It's better if I get it done tonight ya'know."

"Come on (y/n). Even your cousin, Traf-guy, chills with us." Detective Roronoa yawned as he walked over.

Your friends were constantly pestering you to hang out with them, telling you to take a break and unwind. You would almost always shoot them down, coming up with whatever excuse you could as to why you couldn't join them. As much as you loved your friends, you had quite a bit of work on your plate. Furthermore, you personally felt like your work must come first, and therefore put most of your energy into solving cases.

Maybe I should go out. Just for a bit..

With a sigh, you nodded, which had Ussop jumping up with a fist in the air.

"Yes!" He shouted.

"Oi, keep it down." Zoro scolded.

You giggled at your friends. You were about to ask where the meet up spot was tonight, when an angry voice boomed through the department.

"(L/N)!!"

You rolled your eyes with an irritated groan. You knew that voice anywhere. It was none other than Eustass Kid, a bounty hunter who owned Red's Bail Bonds. The two of you crossed paths while working many times due to the fact that Kid's skips were sometimes involved in your cases. One would think with a coincidence such as this, you two would work together, but life doesn't always work like that. You closed cases and brought justice. Kid was in it for the money and nothing more. But, when you make the arrest instead of him, he doesn't get paid a dime. When the red head doesn't get paid, he gets mad, blaming the cop who took his bounty.

"Eustass. To what do I owe the pleasure?" The best approach with Kid was to remain cool and calm. Unfortunately, you could be just as hard-headed, and after one too many encounters, Kid could really grind your gears.

"You arrested my skip again!" He shouted walking closer to you.

You moved to leaning on your desk, feeling safer with the ability to stand up quicker. Things never became physical between you two, no matter how much you pissed the other off, but you never took any chances. Just in case. The red head was unpredictable and more than capable of violence. The scars that marred his face and body were proof enough.

"He was the main suspect in my case, arrested with shit ton of evidence. On top of that, he was about to skip town when I arrived. It would have looked bad on my part if I waited any longer."

"I was literally right around the corner! You passed me for fucks sake! You could've waited just another second and I would have had him!"

You threw him a glare. "The world doesn't revolve around you. Get over it. Now, I have a job to get back to, and I assume you do as well."

"You aren't arresting anymore of my skips." He spoke in a dangerously low tone now.

You stood, determined eyes meeting his vermillion glare.

"You don't get to decide that."

Any normal person, especially one who stood at your short height, would have been intimidated by the man who was nearly 7 ft tall with a metal prosthetic arm that could punch through concreate walls easily. But your pride often prevented you from feeling fear.

Ussop had retreated behind Zoro, who stood on guard, when Kid walked over. Your two friends knew you could handle yourself and would only intervene if necessary.

A few quiet but tense moments passed before Chief Sengoku realized what was going on outside his office.

"Enough! Quit harassing my officers Eustass and get out of here if you aren't turning anyone in."

With an irritated growl, Eustass slowly turned back around and took a few steps away from you before looking back over his shoulder.

"You aren't getting the next one, detective." With that final comment, he walked off.

Only when he fully disappeared from your sight did you relax, closing your eyes for a few brief moments.

"Jesus Christ."

"I'll say." Ussop peeked out from behind Zoro. "Is he ever not mad?"

"I wouldn't know, it's not like we're friends." You sighed.

"I'm just surprised he's technically on our side." Zoro commented.

"Hmm.. Anyways, where are we meeting up tonight?"


	2. Chapter 2

You opened the door to your apartment, setting your satchel full of files on your kitchen table, a.k.a., your at-home-desk. It was often times covered in papers, which you didn't mind. You hardly used it anyways, opting to eat at the kitchen counter or on your couch.

Pulling out your phone to check the time, you saw it was only 5:15. Plenty of time to take a shower and freshen up before heading over to Shakky's to meet the gang at 6:30.

You changed into some jeans with a casual tee and decided to put on some light makeup, just because.

Shakky's was only three blocks from your apartment, so leaving at 6:10 would give you enough time to walk there with some time to spare.

Your walk to the bar, was quiet and the early autumn weather was tolerable, only making you zip up your jacket. The area you lived in was pretty decent, but due to your nature, you still kept your guard up, keeping one hand in the pocket of your purse where you kept your taser. One could never be too safe.

"(Y/n)! What a surprise." Nami was the first to greet you when you walked in, the orange haired girl enveloping you in a warm hug before walking you over to the rest of you group who had arrived already.

Zoro sat back with a bottle of sake nearby, Ussop, Luffy, and Ace were already pigging out, while Robin and Nami sat with some glasses of wine.

"Hey guys!" You greeted, sliding in to the booth next to Nami.

"(Y/n), pleasant seeing you here. What can I get you darling?" Shakky had walked over to your table.

You placed an order and conversed with your friends while you waited. Franky and Brook came by later on in the evening. Sabo was busy but promised he could pick up his two brothers if they became too rowdy. Your cousin, Law, was busy tonight but wanted to meet up tomorrow evening. Your evening was going great.

"To solving another case!!" Nami drunkenly shouted raising her glass.

"Hey now, don't act like it's my first time." You giggled.

"Well then, congrats on actually coming out. If you stayed home any longer, I'd think you had withered away." Nami whined.

You rolled your eyes while Robin giggled.

"(Y/N)!!" Luffy shouted playfully and looped his arm around your neck. "Have another drink with me!"

"Luffy, I have work in the morning."

"So does Zoro!" Luffy whined gesturing towards the greenette who was chugging what was probably his 3rd bottle of sake that evening (not that you were keeping track of course).

"Yeah, not everyone can sleep a hangover away."

"Well, in that case, you'll just have to come back out again when you're able to take off work. Drinking contests with Zoro and Nami have gotten boring." Ace pouted. The freckled face dork was always trying to challenge you to a drinking competition.

"Oi!" Zoro threw a glare Ace's way.

_What time is it?_

9:30. Not too late, but late enough for you to say your goodbyes and turn in for the night, promising your friends to meet up again sometime.

_***Time Skip***_

_*Ring, ring, ring*_

You groaned, sluggishly turning over to the source of the noise. It was still dark in your room. Sliding your phone open, you caught a glimpse of the time. 5:15 a.m.

"It's (L/n)." you answered sleepily.

"Rise and shine. I got a fresh body." Said the gruff voice of Officer Smoker.

"Shoot me the address, I'll be there soon."

You arrived to the crime scene, an abandoned warehouse on 427 East Blue St. at 6:00 a.m., large cup of coffee in hand. The sun was just coming up as you crossed the yellow tape with Smoker. Officer Tashigi and forensics were already looking over the lifeless body of a young green haired woman.

"Some construction workers found her at 4:45 this morning, while doing some road work. There's no ID on her, but she still has money and cards in her wallet. However," - He held up an evidence bag with a few pearls, - "Someone did make away with some jewelry."

You hummed as your face set into a frown and you took a look at the body. It looked as though rigor mortis* had already set in. "How long has she been dead?" you asked.

"Based on her core temperature, she died about 4 hours ago." Tashigi spoke up.

"It's too early for rigor mortis to set in." You said.

"Yeah, it could be a result of the substance she was injected with." Tashigi said, tuning the young woman's head to the side, revealing an injection site with some light bruising. "We won't know more until forensics run some tests back at the lab."

You looked the woman over. "There doesn't seem to be a sign of struggle. Perhaps she knew her attacker." Tashigi spoke again.

"Or she didn't know about the attack until it was too late." You commented.

The young woman was dressed in business attire, wearing expensive looking black slacks and a satin white blouse. A pair of spiral glasses laid cracked beside her in a bag.

"Doesn't seem like she's from this side of town. Do we know who the owner of the warehouse is?" You asked.

"Not yet." Smoker replied.

"Do the construction workers know her?"

"No."

You stood up and walked around. The place was relatively clean. A few old boards, bricks, and metal scraps laid scattered about, but something else was there before. You noticed a large square patch, about 15 feet from the body, that was lighter compared to the rest of the flooring. You signaled forensics to take a picture and examine the area before stepping outside. Smoker and Tashigi followed you out.

"Done observing already?" Tashigi asked.

"Not yet." You said looking around. The warehouse may be abandoned, but you had passed some more active places, such as convenient stores, on your way over. Maybe someone saw something. "The 7/11 on the other side of the street on the corner has cameras. Some of which are looking this way. It's possible they caught something." You commented.

Smoker nodded with a grunt.

You looked around the crime scene some more, but nothing else really caught your attention. This wasn't a random attack, nor was it a passion crime, and despite the missing jewelry, you doubt it was a robbery gone wrong. Someone knew the young woman and wanted her dead.

Fortunately for you, they probably weren't an experienced killer. Based on your experience, a killer who's been around for a while would leave a spotless crime scene. The warehouse would have smelled like bleach and you wouldn't have even noticed the difference between the floors if this killer knew what he was doing, for example.

After a few hours, you departed from the crime scene and headed to the G.C.P.D., eager to finish up some paperwork from last night and get some answers on your new case.

 

_***Small Time-Skip***_

It wasn't until late afternoon when you finally received some information on your new case. The eccentric Dr. Kureha called you over to her lab to give her analysis.

"Her name was Monet. She was 30 years old and worked as a criminal defense lawyer for Mariejois Law Firm." Dr. Kureha said.

"Mariejois? What was a big-shot such as her doing in an abandoned warehouse?" You asked in surprise.

"You're a detective aren't ya? Do you really need to ask a question you know the answer to?" Dr. Kureha remarked.

_Says the old woman dressed as someone 1/17th her age._

You hardly ever back-sassed Dr. Kureha aloud. Despite her age, she was fully capable of knocking a young grown man out with a single punch. She had done so many times when she felt insulted by newer officers. But, as creepy and eccentric as she could be, she was an excellent doctor, whose knowledge you valued.

Furthermore, she was right. There were a number of reasons why a Mariejois lawyer would be found in an abandoned warehouse. Mariejois clients, as well as their lawyers, were hardly ever innocent. But, their immense wealth and ability to find loopholes made them untouchable.

"Right." You simply smiled and gave a curt nod to the doctor. "What about the cause of death? Were you able to identify the substance she was injected with?"

Dr. Kureha's face went grim. "There was internal bleeding as well as signs of asphyxiation. Which one killed her first, I don't know. Whoever made the poison must possess a vast knowledge of chemistry and biochemical interactions. It was a refined mixture of Brodifacoum, a component found in rat poisoning which causes hemorrhaging, and Strychnine, a natural chemical that causes muscle spasms leading to asphyxiation. One hell of a painful way to die."

"Yeah, but I recall most of her clients being involved in business and politics. I doubt anyone of them would know even the basics of chemistry."

"Perhaps it was someone in the lower ranks. Speaking of," - Dr. Kureha turned around to grab something, before facing you again, - "You have a movie to watch girly." She said, her face splitting into a creepy, witch-like smile as she handed you a DVD and folder.

"Thankfully we didn't need a warrant in order to acquire footage from the 7/11." She commented.

"Thank you." You replied.

"Anytime dear." She said, witchy grin widening even more.

You walked back to your desk to examine the footage. Ussop was waiting by your desk.

"So anything new?" He asked.

"I'm about to find out if this tape can give me a lead." You replied.

"Not going to start out with the vic's home or place of work?"

You looked around and motioned for Ussop to come closer. "She's a Mariejois lawyer. Nobody at her work or home, would probably talk to me even if I had a warrant." You spoke in a hushed voice.

Ussop's eyebrows rose so far up his head they almost disappeared and he visibly gulped.

You pulled up the video and pressed play, Ussop looking over your shoulder in curiosity. The video was speed up and showed nothing interesting for the first 10 minutes. When the film reached the 20 minute mark, showing 2 a.m., you saw a truck go down the street towards the warehouse. It then came back and pulled into the gas station. A large burly man fumbled with getting out of his vehicle and dropped his card 4 times when trying to pay for gas. He looked around as if trying to see if he was being watched. When he looked right at the camera, Ussop yelled stop, causing you to start before pressing pause.

"What's wrong?" You asked.

"That's Robert "Brown Beard" Gully. Zoro and I brought him in a while back for drugs. I believe he had a court date recently. The new secretary, Margaret, should have his file"

"Alrighty then. Thanks man!"

You strolled over to the secretary's desk, happy you have made a good amount of progress on your case already. Unfortunately, your happiness was short lived.

"I remember seeing a file for Robert "Brown Beard" Gully, but I'm afraid he missed his court date recently and someone from Red's already picked up the missed court date files." She said.

"Ok, that shouldn't matter though. You can just give me the copy." You said.

"...Copy?" She asked quietly as her eyes widened.

"Yeah... You made copies before handing the files over, right?" You asked cautiously.

"Oh god!" Margaret cried. "I didn't! I'm so sorry."

"Hey, hey it's alright. This will stay between us and I'll...I'll figure something out." You assured her.

"Really?"

You nodded with a hum.

"Thank you so much!"

You smiled before walking back to your desk to gather your things. You may have appeared calm on the outside, but you were exasperated at the thought of having to deal with Red's Bail Bonds.

_Hopefully Kid has cooled down..._

 

***Rigor Mortis is stiffening of the joints and muscles of a body about 6 hours after death and I winged it with the poisons. Brodifacoum has not killed any humans based on my small research and both poisons are harmful when ingested. I have no idea how toxic they would be when mixed together (if that's possible) nor do I know the effects either would have if injected into the blood stream. Chemistry and biochemistry are NOT my strong points.**


	3. Chapter 3

The clock on your dash read 4:39, right before you cut the engine off. You glared at the building with words "Red's Bail Bonds" spelt in red letters at the top. You tapped your foot on the floorboard for a good minute before you let out an irritated sigh and began getting out of the car.

_Let's get this over with. This isn't exactly the best neighborhood to stay in for too long._

The bell above the door chimed, signaling your presence, but no one came to the vacant front desk. The bonds office was actually a decent looking building. There were some chairs and an old couch for customers off to the side, a large desk with two computers and a row of file cabinets behind it. A door with the sign "employees only" was also behind the desk, opened just a little. You thought about looking through the files yourself since nobody was around, but opted to ring the bell that was on the desk instead.

_*ching*_

Nothing.

_*ching, ching*_

Still silent.

_*ching, ching, ching, ching, ching, ching, ching*_

"For fucksake! I hear the god damn bell!" Came the irritated voice of Kid.

"I'll handle it." Said another voice.

A moment later, a tall man wearing a blue shirt and jeans with his long blonde hair down stepped out from the "employees only" door and came over to you.

"Detective (l/n). What can I do for you?" He greeted politely.

Killer, in your experience, was much better to deal with than Kid. He tended to be more reasonable and level headed. If you were going to be dealing with him, you might be able to get the file you wanted without any hassle.

"Hey Killer, the secretary at the G.C.P.D. gave you guys files on recent skips without making copies of them first. As you know, we need files of recent skips as well in order to pay you." You spoke in a nice, level tone.

"If you have time to wait, I can make you copies right now." He replied.

_Good enough._

"That would be great." You gave him a small smile, and he set to work, pulling out the files and unused folders. You saw the file for Robert "Brown Beard" Gully almost immediately, and decided to push your luck just a tad.

"Hey, can I take a look at this please?" You asked sweetly.

Killer looked at the file then to you.

"Why?"

"It just seemed interesting."

"You can wait for a copy."

"Sure thing." You said with a smile.

It was quiet for a few moments before Killer got up and went to the back room, causing you to frown. A few seconds later, a familiar red head wearing a black tank top and green cargo pants walked out, Killer trailing behind him.

"(L/n), I hear you're interested in some files." Kid spoke in a strangely calm voice.

"I just came by to pick up copies of the files you received. Nothing more." You replied casually.

"Then what's interesting about this one?" He held up the file of interest.

"Uh, nothing really. I just thought "Brown Beard" was a strange alias." You tried to sound as innocent as possible. Kid stared at you with a blank expression for a few moments before chuckling.

"Well, I'm afraid our copier is going to break, before we are able to copy this one." He held up the file. "So you're going to have to come by later."

"That's not how this works, we-"

"The G.C.P.D. shares the files it has of new skips. The fact that you didn't make copies of these before handing them over, is on you. So you're going to have to wait." He cut you off.

Your lips pursed together, crossing your arms. He had you in quite the predicament.

"I told you, you weren't getting the next one,  _detective_." A sadistic looking grin spread across his face as he stared you down.

"Is that what this is about? Come on! I just want to question the guy. I could care less about his bounty."

"Yeah, well he may be my next paycheck, so I care."

"Fine then. Bring him in! But I want him to be your top priority." You were getting pissed off. Kid was getting a little irritated that you were trying to order him around. But was overall very pleased with the current situation. He had something you wanted. And he was under no great obligation to give it to you.

"You don't get to decide that." He repeated your words, causing you to growl. "If you want it so badly, why don't you get a warrant." It came out as more of a statement than a question.

"Do you have any idea how long it may take for me to get a warrant?"

He shrugged. "Not my problem."

This wasn't good. The man in that file was your main suspect. You couldn't exactly wait idly by, especially since there was a good chance he may be interested in skipping town.

You thought for a moment before something crossed your mind. You  _almost_  let a smile form on your face. You looked up at Kid.

"How about I share my detective level access to the system with you?" You offer.

Kid froze for a moment and Killer, who had been remaining quiet, perked up.

"You'll what?"

"I'll share my access to the system with you until I'm required to change my password, which isn't for another 3 months. Bounty hunters only get a small portion of the system if I remember correctly. Think of how many more resources you would have for 3 whole months, how much more you could get done in a more efficient manner."

The two stared at you in silent disbelief for a few moments before Killer moved closer to the counter.

"That's quite a deal." Killer commented.

Kid leaned over the counter, becoming closer to your eye-level. "No deal."

"What?" Your eyes widened in shock.

"No deal, and don't give me that look. I told you the next one will be mine and if we're being honest I'm actually doing you a favor. No way you'll be able to bring this guy in on your own."

"If that were really an issue I would've given up this job years ago." You said through gritted teeth. That was it. You were very much pissed off now, and only saw one more option.

Kid huffed and was about to turn around before you grabbed the wrist of his real arm. Vermillion eyes met determined (e/c).

"Is it true you guys have a ring in the back?" You asked.

"...Yes. You'd go that far for one file?"

"He may be my only lead."

Kid's expression turned sadistic as a low chuckle rumbled out. "Now you've piqued my interest. Come on then..  _Detective._ "


	4. Chapter 4

_Just what the hell were you thinking (y/n)?_

You were still pissed and desperately wanted that file, but second thoughts began swarming your mind. Sure, you were a pretty decent fighter who'd taken on guys close to Kid's height. But you never once fought someone with an enhanced prosthetic such as Kid. On top of that, many of your opponents always underestimated you.

As soon as you stepped onto the mat, it was clear Kid wasn't going to take it easy. You had only just stood up in the ring, and he moved in with a series of punches. Surprisingly you managed to dodge and quickly put a good distance between the two of you.

You had no chance of beating Kid in a game of strength. Due to your height and stature, you were better off fighting at a distance, throwing a series of kicks.

Kid wouldn't stop smiling that sadistic smile. He was impressed by your ability to dodge his attacks quickly, but it was clear to anyone, you were out matched.

He got you on the defensive and got close enough to land a few hits you couldn't avoid. They stung and your eyes watered as an automatic response, but at least they were with his flesh arm. Plus, he was close enough for you to land a few good hits as well before sidestepping and distancing yourself.

"You can't win if you're going to keep on avoiding me." Kid growled.

He had a point. But you would surely get crushed if you fought someone built like him at close range... Unless you saw a good opening...

You began to pay a little more attention to Kids movements and realized a few things. First, whenever he was about to throw a punch, the shoulder of the punching arm would twitch. Second, his torso was open whenever he kicked.

You knew what to do now.

You kept your distance and continued to be on the defensive. Kid, being as cocky as he was right now, probably didn't even notice you had him falling into a pattern of predictable movements.

When he threw out his next punch with his flesh hand, you finally decided to attack instead of avoid. Stepping to the side slightly, you blocked the punch with one of your arms, which then grabbed onto his wrist. With all your strength you pulled him towards you, your other fist landing right between his eyes.

Before you could get in a few more shots, Kid made a quick movement and swept you. Despite being caught off guard mentally, your body was still able to react physically and automatically threw a hard kick where it would hurt.

Judging by the way his face twisted when your foot connected with his groin you could tell he wasn't wearing a cup. Normally you would feel bad and avoid your sparring partner's groin area, but this wasn't a common sparring match.

You took advantage of his pain, managing to get him on the ground where you straddled his torso and delivered a final punch.

You got up after a few moments. "I think you owe me a file." You managed to say between pants, looking over at a dumbfounded Killer.

Back in the break room of the bonds office, Kid was fuming with some ice packs on him while you sat at the front desk looking over the "Brown Beard" file with an ice pack nearby. Killer leaned against the file cabinet behind the front desk.

"That was a low blow." He commented.

"Please, I'm sure he's had worse." You retorted. In truth, you did feel a bit bad about kicking him in the groin, but it was an automatic movement and you would've been crushed otherwise. You chose to view it as a justified move of self-defense.

Killer shrugged.

You returned your attention to the file. "Brown Beard" was a big and burly guy with wild brown hair in the front and back. It was highly unlikely you would be able to bring him in on your own. Perhaps you could enlist Zoro's help. You read over his summary and typed his address into the GPS on your phone. He was only a 10 minute drive from the bonds office.

As soon as your GPS spoke, Killer shot you a look of disbelief. "Don't tell me you're going to arrest this guy now."

"So what if I am?" You challenged back.

"You're in no shape. At least wait a day."

"I would like to make some progress today. Plus, I'm not going alone, Zoro will probably join me."

Killer shook his head and walked to the break room, while you gathered up the files and headed to your car.

While in your car you waited for Zoro to reply and looked over the file, trying to memorize the details and see if anything stood out.

Some harsh knocking on your window startled you out of your focused state. You looked up to see Kid glaring at you through the window. Sighing, you rolled the window down just a little bit.

"What do you want?" You asked, annoyed.

"You aren't going to take "Brown Beard" in right now are you?" He looked serious.

"It's my job and I am asking for back up. Zoro should be responding soon."

"Roronoa? Can't think of someone more convenient?" He raised an eyebrow he didn't have.

You gave him an inquiring look.

"Open the door."

"Oh, no."

"Come on, you can benefit from my help."

"Aren't you still recovering? You can't fuss at me for not allowing myself to take a break when you refuse to do so yourself."

"I do a lot more field work, a few bruises is nothing."

You were about to retort before a buzz of your phone caught your attention. Zoro couldn't help you.

_Damn._

You looked at Kid for a moment. He did have a point. He did have more experience with field work than you. Plus, you needed back up. Your win against Kid was pure luck. There's no way you could get two lucky wins in a row.

With a sigh you unlocked the door and waited for him to get in.

Kid skimmed through the file and asked you about your case during the drive. You were under no obligation to tell him anything, but you felt like he could know some of the details, such as the warehouse evidence. You didn't tell him about the lawyer. Surprisingly, the two of you got along for most of the ten minute car trip.

Before long, the two of you pulled up to an apartment complex that gave off a murdery, drug dealing vibe. Despite the uneasy feeling you were getting, you checked your gun and grabbed a small black spray can.

"The fuck? Hair spray?" Kid huffed with a questioning look.

"Trust me. This is better than pepper spray."

Kid rolled his eyes and got out of the car. You followed him out and started walking towards the apartment. Luckily, it was on the ground floor.

"Ok, we might not need to get aggressive. So just stay on guard, don't anta-" Kid kicking down the door cut you off mid-sentence.

You stood there, eyes wide and mouth agape for a moment before following the red head, now shouting for "Brown Beard", in with your gun ready.

_This is so not professional..._

Thanks to all the commotion caused by Kid, it didn't take long until "Brown Beard" made his presence known by firing a shot-gun from behind the wall that led to another room. You managed to duck behind a crummy couch.

You peered up from behind the couch, ready to use it if need be and looking for another place to duck behind just in case.

"G.C.P.D., put the gun down Robert." Your voice was loud and firm.

He turned back around shot gun raised, but a split second before he could fire, a steel fist slammed into him, sending him stumbling back. Sounds of a struggle began and you rushed over. "Brown Beard" no longer possessed the shot-gun, but he did manage to pin Kid against the wall.

You felt uncomfortable firing with Kid that close, so you grabbed the small black canister on your hip and rushed over.

"Eyes closed Kid!" You shouted, startling both men as you got your arm between the two and sprayed "Brown Beard" right in the eyes.

The man reeled back yelling in pain, before tripping over the fallen shot-gun and falling on his back. You rushed over gun now raised and trained on him. Kid picked up the shot-gun and did the same.

"Wha-" The brown haired man in pain started.

"G.C.P.D., we're taking you in." You cut him off, as you moved to reach for some cuffs.

"I got it." Kid growled, holding his hand out.

You gave him the cuffs and kept your gun trained on "Brown Beard". Thankfully, you managed to get him to your car without any more struggle.

"What the hell Eustass!" You shouted and jabbed a finger at the red head's chest once "Brown Beard" was secured in the back seat of your car. "That was completely unacceptable and unnecessary!"

"He had a gun."

"You didn't have to kick the door down! Aggression is not a go-to!"

"Says the troublesome woman who fought me for a folder with papers." He glared at you.

"That's different."

"Is it?" Kid crossed his arms and raised a non-existent eyebrow. "Regardless, I do believe I may have just saved your life back there. Keep in mind  _detective_  I'm a bounty hunter. I'm not obligated to use  _conventional_  tactics like the G.C.P.D. Speaking of, I think I deserve this guy." He sneered.

"Fine. After I question him though." You glared at him pointedly before moving to get in your car as Kid walked over to the passenger side.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: for anyone perplexed about the hair spray, I am a self defense instructor who has been in and out of MMA  for about 16 years. In my personal experience, pepper spray tends to spray everywhere and can even get in the defender's eyes. Hair spray is just as effective but it doesn't spread everywhere as soon as it's sprayed and its sticky. It's also flammable. 
> 
> Want to ask me any question about self defense, I will answer to the best of my capabilities :)


	5. Chapter 5

About 20 minutes later, you were back at the station with Kid. You sat in an interrogation room with "Brown Beard" across from you. You opened a folder and showed him the picture of Monet.

"Do you recognize this woman?"

He shook his head vigorously. "No, I do not."

"She was found murdered in an abandoned warehouse on East Blue St."

"And what makes you think I did it? I'm no murderer."

"We have evidence of you at the scene around the time of death."

The man shrugged. "I'm a construction worker. I know you guys picked me up a while back, but I'm clean now. East Blue St. is where most of my work is located. Just because you can place me somewhere, doesn't mean I killed someone."

"You fired a gun at an officer."

"There were intruders in my house. You entered private property without a warrant."

An annoyed glare unknowingly settled on your face. He was somewhat right. Damn, Kid!

However, you knew "Brown Beard" was hiding something. Despite the firm look, he appeared pale with some sweat on his brow and he was trembling slightly. Perhaps you could offer him a deal?

"Look, we can make this easier on you. If you're willing to cooperate, I can talk to the D.A. and see about a lighter sentence. But I need your side of the story. Ok?"

"Other than missing a court date for a minor drug offense, you have no business keeping me here. I don't know anything."

You were thinking about a new approach to use when the door to the interrogation room opened.

"How about you tell what kind of  _minor_  drugs you had back at your apartment?" Came the voice of Eustass Kid.

_Who let him in?_

"Brown Beard" opened his mouth about to speak again, but Kid cut him off. "Tell her about these smiley face pills I have." He pulled out a small bag with three smiley pills in it.

The man's eyes widened a bit. "T-Ther- ahem. They must be something a friend of mine left. I don't kno-"

"Bullshit! I saw boxes in your place with these things!" Kid slammed his metal hand down on the table leaving a small imprint and causing "Brown Beard" to jump.

"Ok, ok, calm down!" "Brown Beard" said, seeming a little more anxious.

You placed a hand on Kid's shoulder, right above his metal arm. "Cool. It." You spoke firmly. "Tell us what you know. If you're afraid of someone, I need to know. I can give you a plea deal." You spoke to "Brown Beard".

A few moments of silence passed before Kid sighed in annoyance and walked behind "Brown Beard", grabbing his head with his metal arm, and squeezing some, causing the man to yelp in pain.

"Kid!" You stood up.

"I'm losing patience." Kid growled out in a dangerously low tone, tightening his grip.

"OK! OK, OK!" "Brown Beard" pleaded.

"Kid enough!"

"Give her a name." Kid ignored you and tightened his grip just a little more.

"CAESAR CLOWN!!" "Brown Beard" cried out.

Kid let go immediately and you slowly sat back down.

"Caesar Clown?" You repeated while "Brown Beard" caught his breath.

He nodded. "Before I tell you more, I need to know if a plea deal with protection is on the table."

You gave a curt nod. "If you give me a statement on what you know, I can make sure you're protected as a witness. You may even get a lighter sentence." You took out a pen and showed him a form.

"Brown Beard" signed his statement form and began his confession. He worked for Caesar Clown, distributing Smiles, a refined version of ecstasy, around the city. He was mostly just a distributor and errand man, but worked with Caesar closely on occasion. It was Caesar who ordered him to murder Monet.

"I knew she was a lawyer and she was working with us, but I don't know the extent of why or how she got involved." "Brown Beard" spoke.

"Caesar is master at cooking, but I doubt he recruited her. I believe both of them were not running the entire show. But I don't have a name for who the real big man is. I'm sorry. I-I truly am."

"You will be if you aren't telling the entire-"

"That is enough, Eustass!" You glared daggers at Kid. Surprisingly, he backed off with just an irritated scowl.

"I really don't know anything more." "Brown Beard" said softly.

After a little more talking, Kid turned the burly man over and got credit for taking him in. He was in the middle of filling out paperwork to get paid when you stormed over and slapped him over the head (well, almost over the head) with the case file you were starting.

"The fuck?! What's wrong with you?" Kid turned his vermillion glare on you.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?! Your arresting method are even more questionable then I remember and you cannot use torture as a means to extract evidence! He could've given me a false confession!"

Kid chuckled. "Please, you agreed to my assistance and you weren't going to get anything out of him with the leisure "interrogative" pace you were going at."

"Your means make the department look bad."

"My  _means_  got you a quick confession and helped you further your case. That's what you wanted, right?" He sneered, crossing his arms.

You were about to retort, when your phone rang.

_Law._

"Hey there, what's up?" You answered.

"Did you forget I was coming over with dinner?" Your cousin answered.

Your eyes widened. You forgot you made plans with your cousin the other night. "Shit. I am so sorry."

Your cousin chuckled lightly. "It's ok. I let myself in your apartment with my spare key. It's going to take a little while to prepare, so don't rush over here."

"I'll be there soon. Bye."

Kid frowned at you.

"I gotta g-wait, you don't have a ride back."

Kid shrugged. "Killer can pick me up. Just go."

You nodded. You turned when his metal arm grabbed yours. It wasn't a harsh grip, but it was firm. You turned back with a raised eyebrow.

"You don't have to worry about any of your ethics being breached. Remember, there are things my occupation allow me to do that you can't. And don't take on more than you can handle."

"Aww, worried about me?" You smirked.

"I don't want you dying before we have re-match."

You hummed. "Want to have your ass handed to you again that bad?"

"I'd like to see you try that again." Kid challenged with a smirk.

Your lips curved in a slight smile. "See you around, Kid."

"Later detective."

_*** Small Time-Skip***_

You opened open the door to your apartment, greeting your cousin. His fluffy white husky yipped, jumping off your couch and running over to greet you.

"Bepo~!" You cooed, bending over to immediately give the fluff ball attention.

Law chuckled. "It's about ti- what the hell happened?" He just realized your condition. The area around your eyes was purple and red, your hands were roughly bandaged, and your lip was busted.

"Uh, just the hazards of my occupation." You said, trying and failing at brushing it off.

"(Y/n)-ya." Law crossed his arms and looked at you as a mother would look at her child she was scolding.

"Ok, I may have sparred with a certain bounty hunter, but it's not that bad."

"Was it the red-headed asshole?"

"Drop it."

"I'm going to kill him."

"Don't. He...Kind of... helped me out."

"How so? Come over here and let me take a look at you."

You explained your new case and day to Law while he gave you free medical service and cooked ramen. He was a surgeon at the city's hospital and the only family you communicated with.

"Well I'm glad you gave him the 'what for', but you're too reckless. I demand you get a partner." Law scolded.

"I don't like partners." You whined. "Never have."

"That needs to change. I know there are some people on the force you can work with and trust."

"Zoro works with Ussop and Smoker with Tashigi."

"Find someone. You worry me too much."

You thought about your cousins words and reflected on your day. It was true, you were often times over your head. Situations like today were proof of that.

_Maybe I'll make an exception... Just for this case..._   
  
  
  
  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ok, I may not be adding 2 chapters every week and I think I should give everyone a heads up that I may not be updating for the next few weeks because finals are fast approaching!!
> 
> *internally screams* 😬😭😓


	6. Chapter 6

"Thankfully your injuries are not severe. You don't have a concussion and the swelling is rather minor. The bruises and should go away within 2 weeks." Law said while applying ointment and new bandages to your hands.

"I figured as much. Thanks."

Law hummed with a nod. "The ramen is done."

The two of you settled in the living room with your dinner. Usually the two of you watched Netflix while eating, but you were still caught up in the thoughts about your case. You promised yourself to not open your laptop and search for Caesar Clown while Law was visiting you, but curiosity was getting to you. You can't recall hearing about him, though if you're being honest with yourself, chemical science wasn't exactly your field of interest or expertise.

You looked up from you food to Law. It would probably be considered rude to bring up work again, but he was your cousin and he was familiar with the science/medical community. Maybe he-

"Do I have food stuck in goatee again?" He interrupted your thoughts,

You shook your head with a chuckle. "No, I'm just thinking."

Law raised a questioning eyebrow.

You sighed.

"Ever heard of a Caesar Clown?"

Law's face became serious. "Yes. What is he to you?"

"He was mentioned in my case and might be my next lead, but I don't recall hearing about him. Do you mind sharing what you know about him?"

Law gave you an incredulous look. "Are you really interrogating me during dinner?"

"No~ just trying to start up conversation."

Law crossed his arms with a sigh.

"I never personally met him, but he was fairly well known, particularly in the science community. As I recall, he was a former apprentice of Dr. Vega-Punk and specialized in biochemical warfare. However, his license was revoked 2 years ago once it was discovered he ran inhumane tests and ignored protocols. Last I heard, he, surprisingly, managed to get off by paying a large fine and destroying all his research."

You nodded with a hum.

_So this guy has connections with the higher ups. That's the only possible explanation for him not being arrested._

"What's your reason for asking about him?"

"He was mentioned in my case by the lawyer's murderer."

"Your case which is no closed?"

"Not quite. I still need to tie up loose ends. Since I don't have any other leads to follow at the moment, he piqued my interest."

"Hmm..... I think you need a vacation."

"Excuse me?"

"You can't seem to get your mind off work. As a doctor, I suggest you find some distraction for a few days."

"Says the surgeon with heavy bags under his eyes darker than my bruises?"

"Bepo, come here boy." Law turned his attention to the white husky, who was happily chewing on a toy.

"Hey! You can't start ignoring me!"

"Oh dear cousin, just because I'm giving Bepo attention doesn't mean I'm ignoring you." Law said with a small smirk forming on his lips.

_Smart ass..._

"Law, I'm in the middle of a case. I can't take a vacation, even if I wanted to. I know you're worried about me, so if it makes you feel better I'll... accept a little extra help on the case... Just a little though."

Law started playing tug of war with Bepo, not paying you any mind.

Your eye twitched in agitation. "Fine! Since you're so adamant about it, I'll take a vacation... After the case though. With the types of people involved it would reflect badly if I were to drop everything for some personal time off."

Law flashed a faint smile your way. "I'll take it. I just don't want you taking on more than you can handle and ending up like-"

You cut him off and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know... I won't ever go that far."

A sad silence fell between you two before you sighed and changed the subject. "So, how far behind are you on Boku no Hero Academia?"

 

_***Time-Skip***_

 

_*tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap*_

 

You typed away on the computer at your desk, making phone calls every once in a while, mostly trying to research about this Caesar Clown.

This man was practically a ghost! Nothing of him was mentioned past the discovery of his inhumane practices. No address. No current whereabouts. Not even a social media profile. This man was really on the down low.

You sighed for the umpteenth time that day, leaning forward on your desk, racking your brain for new ideas. New search options.

A sweet voice soon interrupted your frazzled thoughts.

"Detective (l/n), a young woman is asking for you." Margaret spoke.

"About?" Came your curt, tired reply.

"The Mariejois lawyer case ma'am. She's the victim's younger sister."

You probably failed at keeping a neutral expression, but who could blame you? Those working at, with, or otherwise related to the Mariejois firm were a tight lipped crowd. To find out a family member of your vic. was willing to talk was a bit of a surprise. Of course, she could have just come down to the station to curse at you, so you shouldn't get your hopes up.

You nodded to the secretary and walked to the lobby to meet the lawyer's sister. She was a rather young girl, probably no more than 20 years old, with green hair. She was dressed casually and could easily be mistaken for any average young girl, if it weren't for the body guard posted by her side.

She introduced herself as Sugar and asked to give a statement.

"Before we get started, I should let you know my sister was rather discrete and managed to keep her work life fairly private, so I don't know how much help I'll be. But I felt it was right to come to the station." Sugar spoke as soon as you entered an interrogation room.

"Well, any little bit of information you may have can be of great help in furthering the case. Do you know if there was a partner or a particular client she was concerned about?" You kept your tone soft but firm, knowing you should be sensitive of Sugar's current state of grieving.

"No, not really. But, she was staying out later, and coming back home in the middle of the night more often in the past year or so. She was rather vague of her whereabouts, so I brushed it off as an increased workload."

You nodded your head and continued asking questions as best as you could, trying not to stress the young woman out.

"If there's anything else-"

"There is!" Sugar interrupted you. "Oh, my apologies for interrupting. I know it's not exactly conventional, but I want to do anything I can to help incriminate all of those who are responsible for my sister's death."

Sugar took a deep breath before continuing. "And, as a family member I am allowed to share the files she kept at home. I brought them with me. They should mostly be of recent cases and clients, so they may help you find clues."

"Thank you, it's very much appreciated."

You said your farewells and gave Sugar your number in case she recalled something.

It was about time for you to take your leave when she left, so you packed up, took the box full of files and decided to head over to Shakky's Bar. Shakky never minded if you did work at her bar, as long as you did it during slow hours and ate something.

_Nothing again!_

You thought with a sigh as you lightly tossed the last file you looked through into the bin.

You ran a hand over your face and started picking at your sandwich and fries, not really feeling up to eating anymore due to your amounting frustration.

_I can't hit a dead end this early..._

"Well don't you look like shit." A familiar gruff voice spoke as a large body plopped down on the chair next to you.

"Oh yeah? When was the last time you took a look at yourself in the mirror, Eustass?"

Kid chuckled before taking a swig from the beer in his hand.

"That sarcastic tone will get you in trouble if you're not careful, detective."

"Who said I was being sarcastic?"

Kid threw you a glare, about to say something but you spoke again before he could.

"Leave me be, Kid. I'm busy." You groaned out, rubbing your temples with your fingers. You weren't particularly in the mood to deal with Kid.

Unfortunately, he stuck around. But he remained silent while you leafed through another file. After a few moments, he kicked your lower leg, gaining your attention.

"What do you want? I'm busy."

"Brain-dead would be a better description. I think this is the dullest I've seen you. What's up?"

You quirked an eyebrow at him. "I'm not looking over new or potential skips, if that's why you're over here."

"Then what are you looking over?"

"What's it to you?"

Kid shrugged. "I got nothing better to do."

"I'm stuck. I can't find this, Clown guy. My last option for this case right now, is reviewing recent case files of the vic.'s to see if something stands out, which nothing is!"

Kid hummed, continuing to drink his beer. You vented a little more about your case, not really caring that it was Kid you were venting to. Today was just a headache, throwing everything off for you.

Kid stayed silent, somewhat paying attention to your rant. He didn't particularly care about your case, but you had piqued his interest after your fight. He stuck around, telling himself he was just passing time.

"Have you tried staking out the warehouse or seeing if you could find another? You know there's never one just one lab for these drug guys." Kid spoke up after you finished with your small rant.

You leaned back in your chair. "There wasn't much evidence in the warehouse. I don't think I'd get very far going that route."

"How thorough of a search did you guys do?"

You turned to him with a furrow brow.

"Did you keep everything intact at the scene?"

"Yes. That's necessary protocol in order to not miss something."

"Have you ever handled anything more than a petty drug charge?" Kid shot you an incredulous look. "These big shots operate differently. They take advantage of cops keeping everything at the scene intact. If you want a chance at finding Caesar, you may need to go back to the warehouse with a sledge hammer."

You gave him a look. "And you would know this how?"

"I don't just hunt small fries ya know."

You nodded, glancing at the files you brought. What did you have to lose? You can't go alone though.

You glance at Kid.

"You still have nothing better to do?"


	7. Chapter 7

It took a bit of convincing and promising to let Kid make any arrests before he agreed to come with you.

The drive was rather quiet. Kid only spoke when you entered the warehouse district, suggesting you park a little ways back.

"If someone's inside, we wouldn't want to alert them." He spoke.

_Obviously..._

You rolled your eyes before grabbing your gun and cuffs.

After waiting outside for a few minutes, the two of you quietly made your way inside the warehouse, taking in all you could and staying alert. It wasn't dark yet, the sun was still up a bit, its rays shining through the windows of the warehouse.

You continued further into the warehouse, making sure the two of you were alone. You didn't let your guard completely down when you turned to Kid, who was walking closer to the wall.

"Any ideas where we should start based on your past experiences?"

"Look for an area that doesn't match." He continued slowly along the wall, not even glancing at you.

_That simple, huh?_

You sighed, biting back any comments and turning to look at a brick pillar next to you.

Nothing looked to different on that pillar. You reached out and ran your fingers along it. Maybe it would feel different?

Once you felt like there was nothing different with that pillar, you went and did the same to the others. When you got to the fourth pillar you noticed something.

There was a 3x3 area where the bricks were a few shades darker than the rest of the bricks in the pillar. The cement was also darker and looked more crumbly.

"Hey Kid, I think I found something." You called.

Kid walked over and glanced at the area.

"Step back a bit." He grumbled, pushing you with his flesh arm.

He then punched the side of the pillar with his metal arm. You cringed a bit as he nearly took out the entire pillar, sending bricks and dust flying.

You hesitantly walked closer as Kid leaned down to look through the ruble, eventually pulling out a small metal box. Using his metal arm again, he slowly squeezed and pried it open, revealing a key and a flash drive.

Your eyes widened some as you took the key and flash drive out. "Do you think whatever this key opens is in here somewhere?"

Kid shrugged. "Maybe. I'll admit this is a little different. Usually I find cash, more drugs, or a notebook with either ingredients, clientele information, or possible locations."

You hummed. "Let's look around a little more before calling it a night."

You slowly made your way through the warehouse, eventually turning on your flashlight as it became darker. You hadn't explored the entire warehouse yourself earlier, so you didn't realize there were some empty offices in the back. Other officers and forensics must have swept through them and found nothing important to report.

You held up the key, looking at it with a furrowed brow.

_Maybe something will now be important that was brushed off earlier._

Before you could step foot into one of the offices, a loud crumbling sound caught your attention. You turned to see Kid standing in some more rubble.

"Looks like there was another hidden secret."

You walked over to find a closed small metal door

You hummed and hesitantly inserted the key before stopping.

"What's wrong?" Kid questioned.

"What if this is a trap?" You questioned, imagining a bomb going off as soon as you opened the little door. "I should call the bomb squad just in case."

"Move." Kid pushed you back some.

"Don't open it!"

"I'm not! I'm just feeling it out."

"Excuse me?" You gave him an incredulous look.

Kid groaned with an eye roll, turning to you.

"If there is a bomb on the other side, there won't be a hollow sound if we knock on the door and it'll feel denser." He explained. "Furthermore, if there is a bomb, it won't go off immediately. That shit only happens in Hollywood movies."

With his mechanical arm, he knocked against the metal door and start to push against it. "We would have at least 30 seconds to clear if there was a bomb."

"That doesn't make me feel much better." You scowled.

He continued pushing against the door, the metal creaking under his mechanical palm. After a moment, he turned the key and yanked the door open.

"Kid!" You hissed as you jumped back a bit.

Kid chuckled, turning his head towards you with a sneer.

"Scared little detective? I wasn't expecting you to be such a jumpy amateur." He mocked.

"Shut-it. I'm just cautious." You retorted as your eyes narrowed.

"Oh please! I know my shit. Besides, it's just a control panel." Kid crossed his arms as he fully turned to you.

"You can't be so reckless. What if it was a trap?"

"It wasn't."

"What i-"

"It wasn't." He growled stepping closer. "I know what I'm doing. Despite clearing everything out, these guys would only blow their shit up as a last resort. Setting off a bomb would draw too much attention. Attention they don't want or need if everyone is trying to lay low."

"You seem to know a lot." You glared up at his figure towering over you.

"I hope you're not trying to imply something  _detective_."

There was a fiery look in his eyes now as he snarled at you. You may have just hit a nerve.

"I'm not. I just didn't expect you to have this much knowledge on how drug operations work." You said rather softly, not wanting to start anything right now. "So it's a control panel?"

Kid turned back to the opened little door with a hum and you glanced up past him. Sure enough, there was a small screen with some buttons and switches next to it. It was nothing you had ever seen before. It looked really high tech.

"What for though?" You mumbled more to yourself. "I think now would be the time to call in. I need to get a specialist to look at this."

You took out your phone and started dialing for the department.

"Don't touch anything." You spoke sternly, glaring at Kid.

He just rolled his eyes while you began to pace with the phone held to your ear. However, his eyes shot forward and he straightened when a red light started blinking above the computer screen.

"(Y/n)." He spoke cautiously.

You looked up at him and noticed he was looking at the control panel. You frowned at the red blinking light and step right up to the panel. When you did so, the screen lightened and turned on, causing you to start.

The screen showed a man, paler than Kid, with long dark hair and a Cheshire cat grin on his face.

"Shirololololololo!"

"Caesar." You said, recognizing the man immediately.

Kid stepped forward.

"How naughty!" Caesar screeched and pointed an accusative finger. "You've just destroyed my property! If you are a member, then there should be a good reason behind this and you will know how to disarm the system. If not... Shirololololo! Shirololololo!"

"This looks like a recording." Kid observed as Caesar continued to laugh.

"You might want to try running. But you won't get very far! Shirololololo!"

And with that the screen went black again.

"The hell?" Kid said, puzzled.

"Let's not stick around." You tugged at Kid's arm, but froze.

Kid froze as well, and the two of you listened, hearing a creaking noise throughout the warehouse.

Your eyes widened as you noticed a metal covering closing over the windows as the creaking grew louder.

"Run!" You shouted.

You shot off. Kid managed to pull in front of you, thanks to his long legs. He felt like it might be possible to stop the metal covering from blocking off the door if he could reach it and jam it with his metal arm. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough and the two of you slammed into the metal covering. Kid punched at the covering a few times with his metal prosthetic before growling in frustration of not being able to make a single dent.

"Sea stone titanium." You said, recognizing the special unbreakable metal. "There has to be another way out."

Just as you spoke some more creaking occurred.

A few moments later, the sound of a pipe bursting was heard to your right, causing you to look over. A thick purple fog was steadily rolling out.

"Shit!"

More pipes began to creak around you two, causing you to panic.

"The roof!" Kid said. "Look!"

There was a window, uncovered, above you.

"We can't get up there!"

There were no stairs, no ladders, nothing! There was no way you could reach the window above you and you were running out of time!

"Start climbing the pipes to the rafters." Kid yanked you over to the left side of the warehouse to some thick (and intact) pipes.

You doubt they would support the two of you, but what the hell did you have to lose?

You began climbing, hearing the pipes continue to creak while the gas continued to spill out.

It was hard to grip some of the pipes and maintain footing, but you managed and began to feel more optimistic about getting out alive.

Unfortunately, your optimism was cut short when the sound of a pipe bursting below you was heard.

"Hurry! These pipes are staring to blow!" You called up to Kid.

Your ascent became a bit faster, now that the purple gas had filled up the floor below you and was billowing its way up.

Just as you were about to grab the ledge of one of the rafters, the pipe you were standing on popped, causing you to yelp and lose your footing.

Before you could fall very far, a cold metallic hand grabbed your forearm and yanked you up to the rafters.

"You alright?" Kid asked.

"What is this stuff?" You whimpered, looking at your lower legs, now encased in a hard white substance. Whatever it was, it made your legs feel like they were on fire. "I can't walk li-Kid!"

Kid had picked you up and thrown you over his right shoulder, making his way towards the window as fast as he could now that the gas was closing in.

He broke the window, with his metal arm, turning away slightly as the glass shattered. He not-so-gently pushed you through the opening, before pulling himself through. Once you were both out he took a look at you.

"(Y/n)?"

"That was close." You grunted out.

"We're not in the clear yet." Kid said, looking at the gas slowly starting to come out of the window.

He scooped you up again and started running. The roof of the warehouse next to the one you were on was relatively close, just a short jump down.

"Hold on." Kid growled.

Your grasp on his shoulders tightened and your breath hitched as he made the first jump down. He continued running to the end where he found a fire escape. Taking the stairs two at a time, he didn't stop running until he reached your car.

You quickly fumbled out your keys and handed them to Kid. He helped you in the passenger's seat before taking the driver's seat, pulling out his phone.

Your legs were still burning as he drove off. You were starting to feel tired though, your eyelids beginning to feel heavy.

Your focus was starting to waiver as you drove away from the warehouse district. You were barely able to hear Kid talking on the phone, only catching a few words such as "hospital" and "quarantine" and "stay awake", but you were too tired to really think about them. Your legs were starting to feel numb now.

With a sigh, your eyes closed completely as fatigue took over.


	8. Chapter 8

_"Run!"_

_That's exactly what you did._

_You ran as fast as you could, a black haired boy right at your heels._

_The two of you ran through the woods, trying not to trip over the roots and rocks scattered all over the forest floor, making your way to the wall at the far end of the estate._

_There was someone waiting for the two of you. Someone who promised to take you away from the nightmare you lived. Someone you could trust._

_Sirens were heard in the distance, making you pick up speed._

_"They've discovered our absence!" The shocked boy spoke between pants. "Don't stop running whatever you do."_

_You didn't need to be told twice._

_The brick wall came into view. The dark haired boy helped you up onto the first branch, which you were too short to reach, before climbing up himself._

_The two of you climbed the tree until you were level with the wall. You then jumped onto the ledge where you immediately jumped again, reaching out for a sturdy looking branch of a tree on the other side of the brick wall._

_Once the two of you made it over, you ran until you came to the main road. Even in the dead of night, you were able to make out the silver solara and ran to it, quickly spotting the immensely tall man with shaggy blonde hair._

_He spotted you as well and got into the driver's seat, turning on the car._

_The two of you scrambled into the back seat, completely out of breath._

_"Step on it Cora-san!" The boy shouted, and the car lurched forward._

_"You both alright? Law, (y/n)?" The man, Cora, asked._

_You tried to answer, but it was hard with your heart beating as frantically as it was and your little lungs demanding more oxygen than you were used to consuming._

_"(Y/n)?"_

_"(Y/n)-ya?"_

You groaned quietly, picking up the soft beeping of a monitor.

"She's waking up." Said a gruff voice.

"I see that." Growled an annoyed voice. "(Y/n)-ya, if you can hear me, squeeze my fingers." The voice said with a lighter tone, placing their fingers in your left hand.

"I can hear you, Traffy." Your voice sounded dry and rough.

"Count your lucky stars you're alive and in one piece." Law was clearly aggravated. "A moment longer and the poison would have killed all the tissue in your lower legs and they would have needed to be amputated."

"Water." You mumbled out.

With a sigh Law helped you sit up. Upon moving you immediately felt a sharp pain in both your head and right wrist, causing you to wince and whimper some. You greedily drank the cool, refreshing liquid when the cup met your lips.

When you were done, you forced your eyes to open, immediately feeling blinded by the white light of the room you were in. You blinked several times, not being able to take in much due to your vision being blurry. You were able to make out two figures though, one being your cousin.

"Wha-I... I need to know what happened." You murmured.

"You need rest. Doctor's orders." Law's voice was very stern.

"Well no shit. Do you mind telling me exactly how I ended up here, while I'm resting?"

Law sighed, but remained quiet for a few moments.

Your senses were starting to wake up and you were now able to register the brace around your right wrist and take notice of a familiar red head sitting in one of the chairs behind Law, wearing his signature scowl.

"Kid?" Your brow furrowed.

"Detective." He acknowledged with a low voice.

Law turned to glare at Kid.

"You have been dismissed Eustass-ya and visiting hours are over."

Kid glared at Law before turning to you. Deciding he was too tired, he got up and left. "See you around, detective. Trafalgar." He acknowledged Law with venom in his voice before he slammed the door to your room closed, causing you to jump.

You were a little miffed your cousin had chased Kid out. Nonetheless, Law could probably fill in the blanks for you himself. Besides, you knew where to find Kid if you had any more questions. On that note, you turned to Law expectantly.

Law sat down before speaking. "What's the last thing you can recall?"

"Falling asleep in the car with Kid driving and my legs burning so much, they began to feel numb."

"That happened yesterday evening. You have been out for almost a day."

Law filled you in on how Kid barged into the hospital with your unconscious body in his arms demanding a doctor. How the GCPD was called in to quarantine the warehouse district and ambulances were dispatched to treat those affected before the quarantine. How Specialists looked you over in order to treat your injuries and find an effective treatment to nullify the poisonous gas filling up the warehouse district.

He even informed you of the officers sent in protective suits to explore the warehouse, finding the gas had been set off via motion sensor and if the correct code was typed into the computer, the warehouse's defenses would've ceased and the control panel would've unlocked, revealing a few grand and some drugs.

"There was also a flash drive. Do you have it or did someone from the GCPD pick it up?"

Law frowned. "I don't recall finding a flash drive on you."

"Someone from the GCPD may have it then. It could've been left in my car as well."

_Or maybe Kid has it._

A few silent moments passed between the two of you before Law spoke up.

"(Y/n)-ya, I want you to drop the case. It's become too dangerous."

"Too dangerous? Law, this is my job. The officers of GCPD put their lives on the line every day to bring justice and keep the city safe! I knew what I was getting into when I signed up."

"I'm well aware." Law said lowly. "Do I need to voice my concerns about your job again?"

You stayed silent, glaring at him defiantly.

"You almost received permanent damage from your recent endeavor! And probably would have died if it hadn't been-" He ran a tattooed hand over his face- "I can't believe I'm about to say this-If it hadn't been for Eustass-ya."

"Law I-"

"I want you off the case."

...

"No."

"(Y/n)-ya-"

"No, Law! Whoever is behind this needs to be taken down! It's my case and I'm in too deep to pass it off to someone else! And for the last time this is my job! I know what I'm doing!"

The two of you glared angrily at each other as a thick silence hung in the air.

Law wanted to say more, but this wasn't the first time the two of you argued about your occupation. He always brought up the same points, and you always acknowledged them but never made an effort to leave the GCPD and go into a safer job.

Still glaring, Law slowly got up and turned to leave. He paused for a moment when he reached the door.

"To ensure you are fully recovered, the doctor is keeping you another day. You will be released tomorrow evening." Law growled. And with that, he turned off the lights and left you alone.

Sleep didn't come without difficulties. Your thoughts were swarming around wildly. You hated fighting with Law, but you could acknowledge that his concerns were valid. The two of you had known each other for so long and had been through so much together. He was the only family you had now. Neither of you wanted to lose the other.

Your mind also drifted to the other night, your brow furrowing as you recalled what Kid said. 

_< "...these guys would only blow their shit up as a last resort..."_

_"You seem to know a lot about what you're doing." You said._

_"I hope you're not trying to imply something detective." He snarled._

_"I'm not. I just didn't expect you to have this much knowledge on how drug operations work." >_

He did know a lot. Too much for him to just claim it was from bounty hunter experience. Did he know something? He did agree to come with you to the warehouse. If he is something more than just a bounty hunter though, he probably isn't involved in your case, otherwise he wouldn't have saved you.

_Right?_

Attempting to clear your head you turned over, closing your eyes and waiting for sleep to take you.


	9. Chapter 9

Law was still pissed off. Despite not seeing him since last night, you knew he was still mad since he didn't have any of the nurses bring you the better food from the café. Cold, undercooked oatmeal, stale toast, and watered down orange juice was just gonna have to do for breakfast.

On the upside, Nami and Zoro stopped by to visit and drop off your laptop as well as a file or two. You were a little groggy and promised not to do too much, but you were interested in taking a look at the flash drive you acquired from the warehouse.

Unfortunately, Zoro informed you that nobody turned in a flash drive when you were taken in. That was a little worrisome, but you were going to try and get ahold of Kid later.

Nami and Zoro stuck eventually left, needing to go about their day, but they did bring you some better food for lunch before taking their leave.

When you were alone, you pulled out your phone. You didn't have Kid's number, but a quick google search of  _Red's Bail Bonds_  and you were calling the office, hoping you could get ahold of him.

"You've called Red's."

You recognized the voice as Killer's. "Hey, it's (y/n), is Kid around?"

"No, but is there something I can help you with?"

"I don't think so. I have some questions relating to the warehouse incident to ask Kid. Can I ask for a cell number?"

"Sure."

After thanking Killer, you tapped in the number he gave you (a little difficult with a sprained wrist), hoping Kid would pick up.

"What?" A harshly recognizable voice answered.

"Well good afternoon to you too."

"Detective. What do you want?" His voice wasn't as harsh now.

"Just wondering if you have the flash drive we found at the warehouse."

"Yeah, I figured I'd hold onto it until you were ready to go back to work."

After a short talk, Kid hung up saying he'd swing by the hospital in a bit. It was rather strange. You weren't used to being friendly with Kid. For the past 5 years, the two of you were constantly competing and grinding the other's gears, communicating through sarcasm and profanities. Now, he had helped you out twice and even saved your life. And you just had a rather normal conversation with him.

 _Maybe I still have some of the poison in my system_.

20 minutes and a sickly sweet fruit preserve cup later, Kid was brought in by a nurse, who promptly left after checking your vitals.

"How are you feeling?" Kid asked, handing you the flash drive.

"Ready to leave." You said with a bored expression. "Unfortunately, when your cousin is also your doctor, it's bad idea to piss them off. They will take complete advantage of the inconveniences they can cause you."

Kid hummed, plopping himself down into a chair and scooting closer while you pulled up the data on your laptop from the flash drive.

"You don't have to stick around." You said.

"I'm a little curious to see what we almost died for." He replied nonchalantly.

"Suit yourself."

The flash drive contained several videos, most of which were experiments with animal and human subjects. They looked like something you would find in a documentary about Nazis. The videos were horrendously graphic, displaying subjects in a chamber where gas was then poured into. The cameras would zoom in on the subjects as they slowly died, their skin turning white and crumbling like ash while they begged for their torment to stop. In some of the videos you heard a familiar laugh that grew louder when the subjects begged for mercy.

The whole thing made you sick to your stomach. You couldn't watch them anymore, so you went to checking out files. So far, most of them were notes about the experiments.

"That was rather disturbing." Kid commented.

"I think I just lost whatever appetite I had."

It became silent for a while, as you scrolled through the files, trying to find something other than notes about those sick experiments.

Kid let out a sigh. "Guess I should apologize for the wrist. I grabbed you a little harder than I intended." Kid grumbled and hinted at your right wrist in a brace.

"I'd rather have a sore wrist than the alternative. I hope you're paying attention, because I'm only going to say this once: Thanks for being there to catch me."

"No problem." He replied gruffly.

You paused for a moment, biting your lower lip in thought. He had information. Maybe not specifically about your case, but after the other day, it was clear he knew more about drug operations than you. Plus, you clearly needed help on this case.

"Kid, do you still have nothing to do?" You asked slowly.

"What do you mean?" Kid gave you a serious look.

"After the other day, it's clear to me that I can't take this case on alone." You turned to him. "And you have been of great help to me on this case twice already. If you're interested, I'd appreciate it if you continued working with me. I'll make sure you're accommodated for."

Kid leaned back in the chair he was occupying with a sigh. "You can't work with anyone at the GCPD?"

"The usual people I would work with are busy; and you know about as much as I do of this case. You're free to refuse."

Kid thought for a few moments before flashing you a dangerous smirk.

"I suppose I can offer you my assistance. Partner."


	10. Chapter 10

You were more than ready to get back to work after your extended stay at the hospital. The chief and some of your co-workers preferred it if you took another day off, but you felt it was unnecessary. Especially since you lost two days' worth of time already. You didn't need to lose a third.

Kid was going to drop by the department sometime that day to finish going over the flash drive and help you evaluate your options for the case. You forgot to call in to let the department know he was working with you, so as soon as you set your stuff down you walked over to Margret.

"Hey Margret, I need a resources form. Turns out Kid is going to help me out on my case and I would like to make sure he's accommodated for his time."

"Oh, it's already taken care of! Kid called in yesterday to inform me. All that's needed now is your signature and I'll put it into the system."

"Oh. Great." Your eyes widened some in surprise.

You were about to walk off, but instead decided to ask the secretary to do you a favor. You looked around before leaning forward, supporting yourself on your forearms.

"Margret-" You began in a soft voice- "I need you to do me a small favor."

Margret gave you a small smile

"Anything."

 

_***Small Time-Skip***_

 

A tired groan rumbled out of you as you ran your hands down your face, leaning back in the chair you were occupying.

"Anything worth noting on your end?" You asked Kid.

You got a rough scoff from the red head.

_I'm going to take that as a no._

The two of you were currently looking through the files on the flash drive. You split them up so you could get more work done faster. Too bad you were starting to develop a headache.

"How about a lunch break?" Kid looked up from his laptop.

"You can take one, I'm not too hungry." Just as you spoke, your stomach growled, causing you to flush slightly in embarrassment.

Kid chuckled.

"You sure about that?" Kid sneered.

You glared at him before huffing out a sigh and closing your laptop.

The two of you ended up going to a sandwich joint down the street. Once you ordered and sat down, Kid began to talk some.

"If we don't find anything to further the case in the files, we may need to-" Kid looked over at you, feeling like you weren't paying attention.

You were scrolling away on your phone, causing Kid to frown before he snatched your phone away.

"Hey!" You frowned up at him

"Stop scrolling through Facebook, I'm trying to discuss our options."

"I can multitask and I'm not scrolling through Facebook."

"Oh?" Kid looked at your phone.

"Give that back!" You hissed, reaching across the table.

Kid leaned back against the booth so your short arms couldn't reach him.

"You're looking at the files? The files we are supposed to be taking a lunch break from?" He cocked a non-existent eyebrow at you.

"I lost two days of work. I would like to get somewhere today and I think I might be on to something."

"Oh yeah? We can find out if we're onto something back at the department."

"Wha-"

"Eat." Kid said sternly.

_Demanding._

"I'm serious. That was the first file I found that didn't appear to be experiment notes." You said before taking a bite of your sandwich.

Kid hummed. "What was it then?"

"I didn't get a chance to really look at it." You gave him a pointed look.

"We can take a better look at it later." Kid paused, taking a bite from his food before speaking again. "But right now, we're taking a break."

_I must've had too many meds flowing through my system when I invited him onto the case!_

 

When you got back to the department Kid handed back your phone and went back to his laptop, waiting for you to pull the file up.

The file was definitely not about experiment notes. In fact, it was actually a contract detailing the distribution and supply of the drug 'smiley' among upper class clientele.

"Monet, the Mariejois Lawyer signed this, look." You moved closer to Kid so he could examine the contract.

Kid peered over the document before looking up.

"That only proves they were connected." He turned back to his laptop. "And, if I'm not mistaken, there was another individual involved with their operation. Someone with a lot of power too. Take a look."

You leaned over Kid's shoulder and frowned. There was a brief letter of thanks to;

"Donquixote? He specializes in weapons. Not drugs."

"Could be an alliance. As a mafia boss, Donquixote would benefit from having deep connections with a Mariejois lawyer, who, based on her contract, was working under Caesar, distributing 'smiles' among her clients and ordering the supplies to make more smiles."

"True, but he doesn't need to go through some crazy poison gas scientist to get the connection. He has other ways. Furthermore, he never enjoyed drug related crimes. Always thought of it to be "cleaner", to deal with weapons and loans."

"You sound as though you know him." Kid commented with an amused huff.

You were glad he wasn't facing you so he didn't see your neutral face falter for a moment. Evading the need to take a deep breath, you swallowed some before replying.

"I-uh- studied the different mafia families when I first became interested in joining the GCPD. Even though there's only one who occupies the city, it's good to learn about the others in case a problem arises."

Kid hummed, pretending he didn't hear you stutter at the beginning of your explanation and deciding not to press you for information yet.

"I would expect nothing less from a workaholic detective such as yourself." He teased.

"I'm not a workaholic, I'm driven by killer ambition."

Kid snorted before returning to the documents.

 

At the end of the day, you felt as though you barely made any progress. The files were great for evidence, but they confused you.

You looked up at your bedroom ceiling, struggling to go to sleep again. It was one of the cons of your job. You often times found yourself wide awake aching to know the answers to questions that came to your damn curious mind.

A lawyer of high standing would be the one running the show rather than a crazed, inhumane scientist stripped of his license, right? And how does Doflamingo tie into your case? He thinks too highly of himself to even associate with those who do work with drugs. Why would Caesar be thanking him for his contribution and interest?

_It doesn't add up._

You sighed before turning over to look at the clock on your phone. 12:45 a.m.

_What am I not seeing?_

 

_***Time-Skip: Next Day***_

 

You groggily arrived to your desk at 7:00 a.m.

A hum of content softly rumbled from you as you took a sip of your morning coffee. You were reviewing the documents you found the other day, hoping something would stand out to you. It was really the only thing you could do until another idea came to mind.

In other news, the warehouse district was declared safe earlier that morning. Kid was actually going by to see if anyone found anything more worth examining.

You were so lost in your thoughts, you didn't notice someone was right next to you until a tattooed hand came to rest on your shoulder, causing you to start and turn.

"Law? Shouldn't you be at the hospital?" You looked up at your cousin in surprise.

"I took the morning off because I wanted to come by and talk." Law glanced around before his gaze focused back on you. "Can we go to somewhere more private?"

You nodded, locking up the files in your desk before standing and leading Law to an empty office. Assuming Law came to apologize, you started speaking as soon as you closed the door.

"Look, about the other night-"

"I'm not here to apologize. I still stand by what I said then." Law cut you off.

You crossed your arms, a look of defiance overcoming your features. "So you came here to lecture me?"

"In a sense."

"I. Am. Not. Dropping. The case." You spoke through gritted teeth. "And I'm not going to have a pointless argument with you."

You turned to leave, but Law made a quick move, his hand coming to cover the door knob as he moved in front of the door.

"(Y/n), this case is more dangerous, than you think. That scare with the gas in the warehouse was nothing. Caesar and the people he works with are dangerous."

"You think I don't know that?"

"I think you underestimate what you're dealing with."

"You are not changing my mind! Now move!"

"I will not have you make the same mistake  _he_ did."

"No! You are not bringing him up as a means to guilt me, Law!"

"I will bring him up since Doflamingo is involved and you're too fucking stubborn for your own good!"

"Maybe my stubbornness-" You stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening as Law's words fully registered. You stepped back a bit, eyeing Law. "Wait a second... I didn't mention anything about Doflamingo..." Your voice was lower, quieter than before.

"...It was mentioned to me by Zor-"

"No, it wasn't." You cut Law off before he could finish. "Nobody, except for Kid and I know about Doflamingo's involvement. We only just found out yesterday, and decided to keep it on the low until we could make sense of it."

Law pulled his hat lower over his face and looked away slightly, something he did when he was upset... or guilty...

"Law... What. Do. You. Know?" Your voice was low and dangerous. Words could not describe how livid you felt at the moment.

_He knew._

_He fucking knew something all this time!!_

"... I don't know much (y/-" Law started quietly.

"Bullshit!" You shouted.

You grabbed either side of Law's hoodie, pulling him off the door and slamming him up against the wall. Thankfully he was caught completely off guard, otherwise your aggressive action may have not worked.

"Tell me everything you know... NOW!" You growled out at him.

"I don't know very much! I've... been in contact with someone who does. When you brought up Caesar, they only told me to get you off the case and I couldn't have agreed more."

"Give me a name!"

"I can't."

"You will!"

Law fucked up. He lost his cool, worrying over you and being angry at your stubbornness, and as a result, he slipped up. Even worse, he couldn't recover from it. Nor could he blame you for your anger.

He looked at you for a few silent moments, knowing there was no way he was going to be able to leave until you got the full confession. He couldn't make up excuses either. You wouldn't buy them. You needed the truth.

"... It started about 3 years ago." He spoke quietly and slowly. "... taking as many precautions as we could, we touched bases and kept in contact with each other."

Irritation and impatience were still gnawing at you, but you let Law speak.

"He was still working on gathering evidence, trying to find the right time to bring it in and shut down Doflamingo for good."

"Law... You didn't..."

Law looked away from you again.

"You could have been found out! Do you not know what witness protection means?!"

"I needed to talk to him! It had been 10 years and I missed him every day (y/n)!"

"I missed Cora-san too!" Anger and sadness were now coursing through you. Your heart was pounding as though you just ran a few miles. You could hear the rushing of blood in your ears. "But you have no excuse for putting his life, as well as ours, in danger."

"I'm sorry..."

"A little late for that!" You finally backed off.

Silence filled the office you were occupying. Law made no effort to leave as you leaned back against the desk, taking deep breaths as thoughts swarmed your mind.

"Give me his information." You said after a few moments.

"What?" Law looked up at you with a furrowed brow.

"If Cora-san knows more, I need to see him." You knew your next move now. "Furthermore, he may need to be relocated. So give me everything now!"

Law wanted to argue with you some more, but having felt as guilty as he did, he slowly abided and wrote down Cora-san's whereabouts.

You snatched it from him, walking out of the office and back to your desk where you began to take out your important files. Law followed after you.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think? I'm leaving early to pack for a little road trip." You glared at him.

"You can't cross state boarders when working on a case without a warrant." Law stated.

"I can't, but my partner can."

Before Law could say anything more, you turned and left, pulling out your phone and dialing up Kid.

"Detective, I'm finishing up at-"

"Tell me about it later Kid, I need to know if your schedule permits you to take a road trip ASAP." You demanded, catching Kid off guard.

He was both irked and surprised you were making demands in a clipped, serious tone. Something was wrong.

"My schedule mostly revolves around assisting you with your case. Killer can handle the bonds office. When do we leave?"

"In an hour. Pack for at least three days. I'll text you my address and tell you more of the details then."

"Alright, I'm going to need a good explanation-."

You hung up, knowing you probably irritated him, but that didn't matter to you at the moment. Your case just became personal; and you were too caught up in your thoughts to slow down.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING* DO NOT IGNORE: 
> 
> There is a rather detailed torture scene in this chapter. If you don't want to read it, please skip over the flash back italics. You won't miss any important details pertaining to the rest of the story.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy the long chapter. I hope there aren't too many errors; I was rather excited about publishing this chapter. 

 

 

You were on autopilot the entire drive back to your apartment and while you packed. The address Law had written down for you was a good 18 hour drive away, meaning you might need to check in somewhere late tonight.

You made sure to grab some cash you kept in a safe in your closet. Given the circumstances, you decided to be extra cautious. It would be harder to track you if you only used cash on trips.

At about 8:45 your phone goes off. It was Kid.

**_Down. Ready when you are._ **

**_Better have a good explanation._ **

You double checked to make sure you had everything you thought you would need before heading downstairs.

"My car has a full tank. I'd like to not have to worry about stopping soon after hitting the road, so we can take mine. It's alright for you to use my parking space." You spoke to Kid.

Kid only nodded in response.

Once you both were settled in your car, Kid finally said something.

"Explain." He growled.

You didn't want to tell him everything. He doesn't need to know everything and it may complicate things if he did. Especially since this was only a temporary partnership. You thought for a quick minute before settling on a short not-too-detailed explanation you felt he would be satisfied with.

"I found a lead on a possible witness. However, that witness is about 18 hours away. I can't cross state borders or even county borders without a warrant, which would take too long to get. Luckily, since you're a bounty hunter, we can work around that."

"How did you find out about this witness?" Kid asked.

"I reviewed some new video evidence one of the officers managed to get a hold of for me."

Kid hummed, accepting your answer for now.

The car ride was mostly silent, which wasn't a bad thing because it helped you calm down and relax. Kid messed around with your radio some, but neither of you made an effort for small talk.

About 6 hours into your trip, you finally stopped for gas.

"I'm going in to pay, do you want anything?" You asked.

"Nah." Kid responded.

With that, you shut the door and strolled off, leaving Kid alone.

Kid was looking out the window, feeling rather bored until your phone lit up, making him frown slightly.

Your cousin was texting you.

**_Will you please pick up! I'm sorry I kept information from you, but it was for your own good (y/n)._ **

**_Although I feel the same as you do, you can't take Doflamingo on by yourself._ **

**_I know you don't want to remember it (trust me, I don't want to either) but we both know what he is capable of..._ **

**_PICK UP GODDAMNIT!_ **

**_At least let me know where you are and if you're safe._ **

Kid couldn't unlock your phone, but he those messages were all he needed to see. He had his suspicions, but this confirmed it. You knew more than you were letting on and this case was personal for you.

Kid was furious. He absolutely hated being lied to and left in the dark about dangerous situations. Keeping this to yourself was pretty much like setting him up. He wouldn't be prepared to help either of you.

No matter though, he had his ways to flush out the truth.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his fists. His typical explosive confrontation wouldn't work.

He stepped out of the car and walked to the driver's side. You were walking back towards the pump just as he opened the driver's door.

"Take a break. Let me drive for a bit." Kid remarked.

You frowned.

"I'm fine to keep driving, Kid."

"I'll change places with you next time we stop, how does that sound?"

"Fine." You sighed, walking over to the passenger side leaving Kid to pump gas.

You had only been back on the road for about 15 minutes when Kid spoke up.

"How much longer until we get to our witness?" Kid asked.

"About 12 more hours, give or take."

"Are you sure we aren't just wasting time? How do we know this witness is real or still alive?"

You sighed. "A reliable source informed me of them. Given their history, there's a slim chance they've been taken out."

You rested your chin on your hand, turning to look out the window.

"You're suddenly chatty." You commented.

"I'm just trying to get more information, see what I have to be prepared for, since you aren't telling me the full truth." Kid said coldly.

"What?" Your brow furrowed and you turned to him.

"When are you going to tell me the full story?" Kid growled out, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.

"I don't kn-"

You were cut-off by Kid abruptly steering off the road, driving on the grass for a bit before slamming on the brakes. The sudden jerk of the stop caused you to shoot forward some, only being held back by your seatbelt.

"What the fuck?!" You hissed shooting Kid a wide eyed glare.

"I hate being lied to and I hate being left in the dark! You aren't telling me everything I need to know which can have dangerous consequences for the both of us!" Kid seethed.

"I'm telling you plenty!"

"You forgot the part about how you personally know Doflamingo."

With that last retort, it became quiet for a few moments.

"How?" You hated how quiet your voice came out.

"Your phone. Your cousin has been blowing it up."

You looked at your phone.

"So why don't you tell me everything." Kid demanded rather than asked.

_Not so fast Eustass_

"Why don't you then?" You hissed, glaring daggers his way.

"Excuse me?" He snarled.

"You heard me. You tell me everything  _I_  should know about  _you_!" You reached into your glove compartment for a file, shoving it at him. "You knew too much about certain aspects of my case for it to just be a coincidence. Especially since, according to your papers, you have no experience taking down big time drug operations."

Kid opened up the file and started to look through the papers it contained. His furious expression may have been faltering, but his aura was still cold.

"I also looked into your records. There was  _something_  that got brushed under the rug, but there weren't many details beyond that... So why don't you tell me who you really are and how you know so much." You demanded.

Kid was having a hard time distinguishing all of what he felt. He was pissed. He was furious. And he was impressed.

He felt betrayed, but he also felt like he should have predicted this.

"You're too smart for your own good, ya know?" Kid chuckled lightly. "You're right. On paper, I have no experience with cases such as yours and therefore should be of no help... I do have experience from the other side of things though." He continued slowly.

"What do you mean?" You asked quietly.

Kid sighed, a grimace coming to his features.

"Ever heard of the Charlotte Family?"

"I would be living under rock if I hadn't." You didn't take your eyes off of him. You weren't going to until he told you everything.

"I won't tell you the whole shitty sob-story, but in short, I was a teen with nothing, who wanted something. And so I found myself involved with the Charlotte family."

"That's a confession that can get you arrested."

"You're more than welcome to try (y/n). But you won't get the desired outcome." Kid's expression became coldly serious.

You said nothing, waiting for Kid to continue.

"I wasn't anyone really important. Technically speaking, I was a worker and a body guard. Because of my position, I was... expendable. I was rather stupid, caught up in the fact that I was finally going somewhere, and didn't want to believe the reality of my situation; that I could become a scapegoat at any moment. I took so much pride in what I did."

You listened, trying to breathe steady as you felt your stomach sink and your heart rate increase more.

"One day, things became real for me. Reality hit me like a splash of cold water and I wanted to get out. I  _needed_  out. I packed a suitcase full of cash, hoping that if I presented it to the boss, Charlotte Linlin, I would be let go. Other families typically allow people to retire or buy their way out from what I had heard, so I believed I just needed to present a shit ton of cash, agree to never speak of my time in the family or ask the family for help, and be on my way."

_That wasn't the case._

You knew that extra bit, even though he didn't say it aloud.

"Turns out the Charlotte Family is a little different. You see, Charlotte Linlin, Big Mom, she believes that everyone, even the scapegoats, in her family are important. When you ask to leave, she feels like she is being asked to give up something important and it would only be fair to ask you to give up something important as well. If you are serious about leaving, she will have you play a game of "spin the wheel", where fate decides what you lose."

The atmosphere was growing thick and heavy. How long has it been since you've had a proper breath of air?

"The needle of the spinner could land on anything. It could be a certain amount of money you had to pay or a certain amount of years you would have to work off. It could be something more gruesome... such as the head of a loved one... or a body part you're literally attached to."

Your eyes drifted to his metal arm. You couldn't stop your eyes from widening as a sick feeling filled your stomach.

"Once you spin the wheel, there are no take-backs, re-dos, or negotiations. You could only await your fate. Being held down by handful of guys, being beaten, cut, and electrocuted until someone came back with an axe. Did you know that it takes more than one strike to sever a limb when you use a dull axe? It takes about 13."

 

_***Flash Back***_

_The wicked grin of the large pink haired woman widened as she looked at the wheel when it stopped spinning._

_"Well Kid, it's been a pleasure having you in the family." A dark laugh rumbled out of the large woman._

_Kid couldn't hold back the look of horror that crossed his face._

_The needle was pointing to a slot that read "left arm" with a comically drawn axe and severed arm pictured._

_Kid shook his head, trying to think of something fast. There has to be some other solution, something else she could want that he can give her!_

_"Wait!" He shouted, only to be tackled to the floor by two men._

_He let out an "oof" and immediately began to struggle, managing to land a hit on Oven, one of the large men who had tackled him._

_"Struggling only makes your situation worse." Daifuku spoke._

_"You wanted out, now take it like a man." Oven sneered down at him._

_"We have some time to kill while brother Cracker fetches the proper tools." Katakuri straddled Kid's waist, pulling out some blades from his vest._

_His two brothers chuckled._

_"Where to start?" He nonchalantly asked no one in particular._

_He brought the knife down and slowly made a cut down the younger redhead's face._

_Kid hissed, bucking his hips as a means to get the man off of him, only to have the knife dig in deeper, going over his left eye. When the knife left his skin he was struck a few times by two large fists._

_"What did we say about struggling?" Daifuku asked._

_"Big Brothers!" The cheerful voice of a woman called. "We want to have some fun as well!" A blue haired woman and man became visible, carrying long poles with two spikes at the end._

**_Fucking cattle prods?!_ **

_Kid started to struggle even more, growling like the trapped animal he was._

_He growled and grunted and gruffly cried out, as the torture became nonstop.  
_

_Punches rained down._

_High voltage electric shocks were delivered in various spots, burning his flesh._

_Slow and deep cuts were drawn down his body.  
_

_Sadistic laughs and dark chuckles filled the room._

_Kid couldn't tell how long this lasted. Whether it was a few minutes or a few hours, only fucking God would know!_

_When the torture finally ceased, he took a deep breath through his nose which he instantly regretted. Some ribs had to be broken._

_He gurgled, spitting and coughing out the blood that had gathered in his mouth._

_His breath came out in small, painful pants as blood ran in thick rivulets from his mouth and down his cheeks and neck._

_A bloody haze clouded the vision in one eye._

_He felt the weight holding him down shift as his ears picked up something metallic running along the floor._

_He was too focused on trying to make breathing less painful that he didn't notice the unsharpened blade of an axe rise._

_He cried out in pain as the axe came down. The thing didn't even cut through his skin, it only crushed the bone._

_A delighted cackle was heard_

_"Ohhh, looks like this is going to take some time. Too bad." The sadistic sneer of Cracker was registered by Kid despite his current state._

_His cries became hoarse as he counted the number of times the axe came down, trying to find anything to distract him._

_He felt soft hands turn his head to the left and a long tongue run along his face. "It wouldn't be any fun if you didn't watch, sweetie." The voice of a woman sang in his ear._

_It was difficult to turn away. Kid had no choice but to watch as the axe started to break through his skin, the fingers of his left hand curling once more before all the neurons were severed along with the muscle and bone of his arm._

_Blood began pooling around him as consciousness was slowly leaving him. He barely registered the sick, hag voice of his former boss telling someone to "get him out of my sight."_

_***End Flashback***_

 

"Stop." Your voice was barely above a whisper, a lump settled in your throat.

"Stop?" Kid questioned.

His serious expression didn't falter in the slightest as he leaned forward until you could feel his breath fan over your face. "You demanded I tell you who I was, did you not?  _Detective_?" He hissed out.

You couldn't respond.

He sighed, leaning back some. "It's a part of my past I wish to keep buried and I sense you feel the same about whatever shit happened between you and Doflamingo. But you enlisted my help. And I can't help you if I don't know the full story (y/n). I've told you everything you wanted to know, now it's your turn to share."

You took a few breaths closing your eyes for a few moments before opening them back up.

This was a part of your past you wished to never re-visit. Something that still affected you, contributing to your insomnia.

"You're right... much like your past, mine is one I've wanted to bury... You see, Doflamingo... is my father."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I'm not too happy about my job on this chapter, but I tried. It was written 3 days ago, I've sat on it and contemplated it, so here ya go!
> 
> Sorry if it's not that great ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

_"You're right... much like your past, mine is one I've wanted to bury... You see, Doflamingo... is my father."_

 

Several moments of silence passed until you took a breath and continued.

"Growing up, Doflamingo expected me to learn how "business" worked early on. I never went to school; hell, there was a wall surrounding the mansion, where everyone resided, that kept me and the other children separated from the outside world."

"If you knew about the "business" early on, you shouldn't have had much trouble finding leads." Kid commented.

"Doflamingo never worked with drugs when I was growing up. Besides, I was exposed to a different part of the business. Doflamingo had me sit in on his private meetings with people he worked with where I was to learn the difference between a good deal vs. a bad deal and how to "take care of" bad deals."

 

_***Flash Back***_

_You sat on a chair, slouched forward, kicking your feet back and forth which were too short to reach the floor. The office you were currently in was empty and quiet. The only noise came from the grandfather clock in the corner which just ticked away._

_It wasn't your choice to be in the quiet office, but you knew all too well what would happen if you even attempted to skip your daily lesson._

_A shudder passed through you at the thought of being in the confinement hall._

_The door behind you opened and immediately the chatter of male voices were heard._

_You immediately stood up and turned towards the chatter._

_"Ah, my little sweet-pea is already here! Wonderful." Your father cooed walking over to you where he crouched down to hug you._

_He always acted extra nice around business partners and you were forced to play along. The bruises and scars hidden by make-up and a sweater were a constant reminder of what would happen if you even hesitated while speaking._

_A convincingly cheerful "Papa!" left your lips as you smiled and hugged your father back._

_When he pulled away, you turned toward the client and stuck out your little hand._

_"My name is (y/n). It's a pleasure to meet you sir."_

_Clients were always surprised that you were allowed to sit in on meetings. They were surprised by how polite, eloquent, and poised you were. Of the clients who were unlucky, they were even more surprised by how un-phased you were when your father pulled out a gun._

_Not a single person you met in your father's office was ever suspect of what happened when they left. Even if they left in a trash bag, they never knew._

_Not a single individual outside the family knew you were forced to either fight or receive twice the beating._

_Nobody, knew you first witnessed a murder at the age of 5._

_No one knew you were punished if you even talked about wanting to go over the wall._

_And certainly nobody knew that if you refused to abide your father's requests, such as when he asked you to do the honors in finishing off his current client who failed to deliver, you would be locked in a hot hallway, with no doors, windows, or food._

_When your father finished what you refused, you would receive a physical and verbal lecture before being locked away for God knows how long._

_Sometimes it was a few hours, other times it was a few days. Often times, it was the latter._

_"I do this for your own good (y/n)." A twisted grin made its way to your father's face as you stared at the darkness of the confinement hall. "I do this so you can become stronger and one day pick things up where I leave them."_

_It was one of the phrases he loved to say before, during, and after punishments._

_***Flash Back End***_

 

"I was forced to watch people, mostly innocent ones, be killed or have their family killed in front of them. I couldn't say anything when meetings ended in death... During the last few years I resided in that hell hole, I was even asked to make the kill. I refused every time and paid dearly every time..."

Kid listened intently as you spoke. He always assumed you came from a stuck up family, yearning for nothing but successful children. That's what he assumed knowing you were one of the best detectives and your cousin was a successful surgeon.

"What of Law? Did he grow up with you or did you meet outside the family?" Kid asked.

"Law was taken in by the family. My supposed father didn't care who you were, if you were able to work, you were welcome. Law came in as a sick orphan in need of chemo treatment for his cancer. In exchange for treatment and a place to stay he ran errands and helped with jobs." You spoke quietly. "With the help from Law and Cora-san, I was eventually able to escape the family."

"Cora-san?" Kid questioned.

"Mhmm. He's actually the witness we are traveling to see. He's the younger brother of Doflamingo and a former detective who specialized in undercover work. After-" You paused for a moment lightly shaking your head, not wanting to remember that night. "A job gone wrong, he was placed in witness protection."

Kid thought for a moment. "How do you know it's really him we'll be meeting? Crossing a family is a death sentence, regardless of who you are."

"Cora-san was severely wounded the night of his last mission. He managed to survive, but it was evident that he would put everyone at risk if he stayed in the city. Because of this, a few of the higher powers in the G.C.P.D pulled some strings and he was declared to have died on the operating table. They even went as far as to hold a fake funeral. Since his recovery, he has been living the life of someone else."

A bitter chuckle rumbled out of you as you turned to look out the window. "I only just discovered he and Law have been in contact."

A grimace made its way to your face as silence fell between the two of you.

With a sigh Kid started the car back up, speeding up so he could get back on the road.

"Looks like we lost an hour, but that talk was necessary." He motioned to the clock on the dash. "Does Cora know about us coming?"

"I can't say for sure. No matter how safe they've been thus far, every contact Law and Cora-san make will always be dangerous. Especially since we don't know the full extent of Doflamingo's power and resources."

Kid hummed.

The rest of the car ride wasn't too bad after that. The two of you actually conversed. Some questions regarding the dark part of your pasts were asked, but other questions came up as well.

Kid never knew you painted and sketched for a hobby and even had a few works hung up in Shakky's Bar.

You learned Kid enjoys mechanics and actually helped create the design for his prosthetic with someone from Germa 66 who owed him a favor.

Time seemed to pass just a little quicker now that the two of you were able to communicate more openly. Furthermore, you found a new sort of respect for Kid and enjoyed seeing his more chill side for the rest of the car ride. It made him... dare you say it... more attractive.

You shook your head lightly at the thought. He's still technically your rival. You'll probably go back to hating each other once your case is closed.

_11:45..._

It was pretty late when the two of you pulled in to the closest inn. The place seemed rather sketchy. It was the only place to stay the night in the small little town you stopped at.

You yawned and stretched before grabbing your bag and getting out of the car.

The check in office was rather plain and simple, but didn't look crummy like you were expecting. An elderly lady wearing glasses and red lipstick was sat at the front desk, smoking a cigarette and reading a novel titled  _Claimed_. If the title wasn't enough of a giveaway, the half-naked male model on the cover, told you it was some raunchy romance novel.

When you both reached the desk, her eyes slowly drifted up from her book.

"Yes?" Her voice came out as dry croak.

"Two rooms please." You spoke.

"That'll be triple the price." She said.

"What? Why?" Kid asked.

"You'll be wasting my space. You came in together, you can room together, or give me triple the price." Her red lips were pressed in firm line.

"A room with two beds?" You asked.

"Sorry hun, I'm fresh out."

"Really?" You folded your arms, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't go getting an attitude with me missy! I can always raise the price."

_Oh boy, an older version of Nami!_

You suppressed a groan.

"Can we get a room with a couch in it?" Kid asked

"I think I have something like that." The woman responded.

"Then we'll take it."

"200 beri."

"Your single night price is 90 beri!" You fussed.

"You need to check your attitude girly and respect your elders. Besides I don't know what freaky shit you kids are into."

"We're not together!" You and Kid responded simultaneously.

"Mhmm. That's what they all say." She took a drag from her cigarette. "You can take the room or travel to the next town over. But that's about an hour and a half away."

You were about to say something more, but Kid pulled you back, roughly squeezing your arm and shooting you an angry glare. It was clearly too late for him to deal with this shit.

Besides, you could both use some sleep.

"We'll take it." He grumbled.

The woman smiled and gave you the room key in exchange for the 200 beri.

"I thought she said this room had a couch." You grumbled, looking the large arm chair over.

"Eh, it won't be the most uncomfortable place I've slept." Kid yawned.

Kid placed his stuff down and walked over to the chair. You closed the door, biting your lower lip as you thought for a few moments.

"Kid..." You sighed deeply, before shooting him a serious glare. "Stay on your side of the bed and no funny business or I'll shoot off your manhood."

Kid threw his head back and laughed. "You're a few feet too short to be making loaded threats Detective!" He spoke between laughs.

You groaned, making your way to the bathroom to change into sleep clothes.

When you came back out Kid was wearing some boxers and a wife beater tank top and lounging on the bed. He met you scowl with an evil smirk.

With a huff, you rolled your eyes and strolled over to the bed.

"I'm serious Kid. Don't. Even. Think. About it." You growled.

"Just get some sleep."


	13. Chapter 13

The sun wasn't even up, leaving the room fairly dark when Kid started to wake. He ran his flesh hand over his over his face before stretching his arm up, groaning at the feeling of the stretch.

When he moved to turn over, he took notice of the warm, slight pressure against his chest. He opened his eyes and gazed down only to be met with messy (h/c) splayed everywhere.

He tensed and quirked a nonexistent brow at your sleeping form, before relaxing. Your breathing was slow and deep, signaling you were still very much asleep and probably would be for a while. The blanket you were under had ridden down, revealing your top half covered by a (f/c) tank top. 

His vermillion gaze came to focus on your face, taking in the peacefulness of your sleeping expression, particularly noting how your plump lips were slightly parted.

After a few moments he let his gaze drift back down, taking notice that one of the straps of your tank top had slipped down, revealing a little more of your cleavage which was pushed up some thanks to the position of your forearms. He couldn't help but groan internally at the sight. This was probably the first time he had slept next to someone and didn't make a move.

His expression turned to a frown though when he glanced at the brace still around your wrist. It wasn't his intention to hurt you, but in a moment of panic he forgot that his metal arm possessed much more strength than his flesh arm. At least you remained in one piece.

Kid sighed and shook his head.

What was he doing?

Sure he found you attractive and liked your spunk and determination, especially when he got a taste of it first hand during your fight, but there was no way anything would ever come of you two.

Of course, that didn't mean he would stop checking you out every chance he got.

The redhead actually smirked when you began to stir.

***

You felt warm and comfortable. So much so, that you almost forgot you weren't at home.

Your groggy mind began recalling the other night, trying to estimate how much more time you would have to spend on the road before reaching Cora-san, as you began to stretch your arms forward. Your hand came into contact with a firm, warm object and your legs slid along what felt like another person's legs. With a soft groan you opened your eyes, blinking the sleep away.

A low chuckle caught your attention, causing you to turn up towards it, only to be met with the sneering face of Kid.

"Wakey, wakey detective."

"Jesus!" You shrieked, jumping back and stumbling off the bed.

Your clumsy action lead Kid to transition from a chuckle to a head-thrown-back laugh.

"What the hell were you doing? I believe I told you to stay on your side of the bed!" You scolded the redhead.

"I am completely innocent here." Kid spoke when he calmed down. "As you can see, I  _am_  on my side of the bed." Kid gestured with his arm.

You scowled at him.

"You were the one snuggling up to me. Not that I don't mind, or anything." Kid teased.

You could feel your cheeks heat up slightly as your eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"You're lucky I may still need help..." You grumbled, swiftly grabbing your bag and heading off to shower, leaving Kid to laugh at your embarrassment.

The hot water was instantly refreshing, causing you to hum in satisfaction.

As you washed you found thoughts drifted from the irritating redhead to Cora-san. You couldn't help but wonder what about him has changed, what his new life has been like all these years, and what he might know that could help you.

He was a very caring uncle you've missed dearly. You remember very well how terrified both you and Law were the night of his accident and "death". You were even more scared during the years after Cora-san's "death". If the Family had found out he were still alive...

You squeezed your eyes shut and shook your head, sighing heavily.

You can't think about  _those_  "what ifs" now.

With that, you quickly finished washing and quickly dressed into some jeans and a t-shirt.

You looked yourself over in the mirror and couldn't help but reflect a bit.

You were a completely different person now. Cora-san probably wouldn't recognize you, only having seen you as the scared, abused little girl you used to be.

The thought caused the corner of your lips to quirk up briefly before falling back into a neutral position as you took your leave from the bathroom.

Kid was fully dressed when you came out and playing on his phone.

"Creep keeps texting you." He held up your phone. "One of the messages mentioned informing Cora of our arrival, while others seem like apologies."

"Don't go through my messages!" You scolded.

"Technically I didn't, since I don't have the means to unlock your phone."

Picking up your phone you scanned through the messages. They were mostly the same as the other day. Law was sorry about keeping things from you, still trying to talk you down from the case, claiming he did everything for your safety, blah, blah, blah...

_At least Cora-san knows to expect us._

"Ready when you are." You spoke, crossing your arms and looking at Kid.

 

 

_6:45 a.m.... Alrighty then._

For once, you were thankful to have woken up early, considering you still had 8 more hours of travel left. Kid went back to sleep as soon as you pulled out of the parking lot, so aside from his snoring, the drive was rather quiet.

It wasn't a bad thing though.

The silence gave you time to organize your chaotic thoughts centering on Law, Cora-san, and the past you never wanted to remember. Anger, sadness, happiness, and unease were swirling around inside of you. Uneasiness was occupying you the most as of right now. You had no idea what the outcome of this trip would be. Things from this point on have become even harder to predict, and that scared you.

_Bzzz._

Your phone went off again, and you briefly glanced down.

 _Law_.

You sighed, deciding you would call him when you got the chance to. You couldn't give your cousin the silent treatment indefinitely.

For the last hour you had been traveling along a back road with woods on either side. You spotted very few houses and they were all spread out. According to your directions, you were very close, close enough for you to start counting the mailbox numbers.

_1607...1609...1611...1613...1615!_

You turned and started traveling slowly up a long gravel road. You stopped about halfway up the driveway, turning to look over at Kid. The redhead was no longer snoring, but appeared to still be napping. His scarred up face actually looked peaceful and at ease for once, with his eyes relaxed and lips slightly parted.

"Exactly how long do plan to stare at me?" Kid grumbled.

You huff and smack him on the shoulder, causing him to chuckle and open his eyes.

"We're here I take it?" Kid said with a sigh.

"Yeah..." Your voice was quiet.

Kid hummed as you slowly made it up to the house.

The house was rather cute. It was small, white cottage style home with a flowers and a bench swing occupying the front porch. A small, clear yard was in front of the house, a car port and shed was in the back, and the entire area was surrounded by dense woods. Quiet, secluded, and in the middle of nowhere. Those were the goals of Cora-san's relocation and it seemed as though they were achieved.

With a deep breath and a trembling hand you knocked on the door and waited. It felt like an hour, when it was probably only a minute, until you finally heard familiar stumbling and crashing sounds. Kid stepped forward, most likely misreading the situation and planning to do something drastic, such as kicking the door down. However, his movements ceased when you held out an arm in front of him. He turned to you with a look of confusion, about to question you, when the door swung open, revealing a familiar tall man who towered over the both of you.

His shaggy blonde hair looked slightly longer than you remember and he looked to be in his early 40s. The white button up shirt he was wearing with the first few buttons undone revealed some faded scars from a night you wish you could forget.

A pregnant silence hung heavily around the three of you, with no one willing to speak first. What was anyone supposed to say in situations such as this? You can't just say "hey what's up" and expect a normal conversation to ensue. It wasn't like you were casually visiting an old friend you haven't seen in years.

This wasn't a normal reunion... After all the silent hours you had in the car, why the hell did you not think about what you would say to the man staring at you with wide blue eyes right now!

_Say something... Say something you idiot (y/n)!!_

With nothing else coming to mind, you attempted to say "hi" but it came out as a strangled choke, making you realize you were crying.

In one swift motion, surprisingly not followed by a clumsy action, Cora-san pulled you into a warm embrace. You forgot how tall he was, for you barely reached the middle of his torso.

You felt some more tears escape and stain his shirt.

One of his hands rested at the back of your head while your arms slowly wound around him, returning the hug.

You could feel Cora-san trembling a bit, signaling he was feeling just as emotional as you were.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Enana*." Cora-san shakily whispered, using your nickname.

Maybe there wasn't a need for any heartfelt words.

You don't know how long you stayed in Cora-san's embrace, but you broke apart when the sound of someone clearing their throat was heard. You glowered at Kid.

Kid himself felt rather awkward. It's not that he didn't understand the scene going on before him, but he only knew about Cora from the bits and pieces you told him. He had no connection to him otherwise and felt out of place watching your little reunion. Furthermore, there were other matters that would eventually need to be addressed.

 

 

"I can't believe you went and became a detective!" Cora-san fussed.

You and Cora-san sat at the kitchen table while Kid leaned up against the doorframe that lead to the living room. Your initial conversation had been rather pleasant with your uncle gushing over how much he missed you and how much you've changed. However, when the topic transitioned to your choice of career, Cora-san felt the need to express his... concerns.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous it is?!" Cora-san folded his arms.

You sweat-dropped.

_Now where have I heard this line before?_

"You sound just like Law." You deadpanned.

"I can't believe Sengoku was ok with you joining the force."

"I graduated top of my class."

"Well that is an impressive accomplishment but-"

"It's better than the alternative "career" I originally had no choice about." You spoke up, causing the older blonde male to become silent. "Besides, it was you who inspired me to help others even if it meant I had to risk my life. That's what you did Cora-san. That's what I decided I wanted to do."

Cora-san look dumbfounded for a moment before he gave you an ear to ear smile, letting out a happy chuckle.

"Aww, (y/n)!"

You smiled happily.

"By the way, who's the boyfriend?" Cora-san asked, pulling out a pack of cigarettes.

"We're not together!" You and Kid shouted simultaneously.

"Kid is working with me on the case. Didn't Law mention anything of that when you last communicated?" You asked.

"Hmmm... he only said you were bringing along a 'red-haired idiot'. I thought that was code for boyfriend. My mistake."

You could see Kid's eye twitch and assumed he was probably about to make a death threat, before the blonde man lit his shoulder aflame.

"O-oi!" Kid shouted straightening up with a wide-eyed look.

Being used to Cora-san's clumsy nature, you quickly rushed over to the sink, grabbing a dish cloth and running it under the water before slapping it over your uncle's shoulder, effectively smothering the fire.

"Still clumsy huh?" You chuckle.

Kid looked on incredulously. How could you act as though this were normal behavior?

"Not much has changed with me." Cora-san rubbed his neck sheepishly before giving you a serious look. "But, I do believe we should start talking about why you two came here. It's obvious you aren't here for tea, cookies, and small talk."

The blonde took a drag from his cigarette, looking between the two of you now.

"It was mentioned to us that despite being in witness protection, you still have been collecting evidence on Doflmingo and his activities." Kid spoke up before you could, wanting to get straight to the point.

Cora-san stayed silent for a moment before he stood up from the table.

"Come."

The two of you followed the tall blonde through the living room to a door that led to the basement.

"Watch your ste-AHHH-" Your clumsy uncle went tumbling down the stairs before he could finish his sentence causing both you and Kid to grimace.

"Cora-san, are you ok?"

"I'm fine (y/n), don't worry."

You rushed down to help your uncle up, pausing to look around the chilly basement when Kid flicked on the lights.

"Cora..."

The wall of the basement by the stairs was covered in photos and maps. Every photo contained either Doflamingo or one of his associates. Every location contained a brief description of who or what was going on. There was a bench underneath the wall display with files, folders, and journals laid across it in a disorganized manner.

"Due to my situation, I have only been able to gather information about my brother from a distance." Cora-san explained.

"How much do you know about the drug trade he's apparently partaking in?" You questioned.

"According to a reliable source he's made a powerful ally, who could easily become an overwhelming enemy if he doesn't fulfill his end of the deal."

"What ally- Wait,  _reliable source_?! Do not tell me someone knows your identity."

"Her family was ruined by Doflamingo." Cora stated.

"You don't know if that's true! What the hell were you thinking, trusting someone who could easily lead Doflamingo to your location?"

"I know she didn't make it up because I am the reason Doflamingo killed he father and sister." Cora growled out. "Do you remember being told about my last mission?"

You gave a curt nod. "Collecting intel on the family, to take them down." You recalled.

"And to stop their expansion." Cora-san finished. "I don't know how much you remember (y/n), but my brother treated business like a game nobody could win. He found ways to force people into situations that could be "fixed" if they made a deal with him. And since most failed to fully deliver, he would take what he wanted, and finish off the poor fellow who sought him out. His method put him in well off position financially and quickly lead people to fear him."

_"Fear and money run a business, (y/n)."_

You blinked your memories away.

"Can you share everything your source has given you?" Kid asked.

Cora-san turned towards the redhead and gave a terse nod.

_****_

You sat at the kitchen table typing away on your laptop.

It was well into the evening when the three of you had finished exchanging information and piecing everything together.

Thanks to Cora-san's input, you now know that Doflamingo was roped into a deal with a man more powerful than himself, known as Kaido. In exchange for extra man power and protection, Doflamingo would provide drugs that increase physiological aspects for Kaido's men. Caesar Clown was recruited because of his expertise in the biochemical field. While it was unclear if Monet, your murder victim who led you to where you are now, was connected to anyone beyond Caesar, you now had more than enough evidence to arrest the Donquixote Family and ensure they serve a long sentence. That was the important part. You could ask more detailed questions of Monet's involvement later. After all, this was her case.

Once you report your findings to Sengoku, things should go rather smoothly. You were trying not to get your hopes up, but with how things have turned out since the warehouse incident, you couldn't help but feel some optimism.

A knock against the door frame drew your attention away from your laptop.

"Hey, it's getting late, your uncle already turned in for the night." Kid said.

"I'm just typing up the report for the case. It's better to do a little bit at a time instead of having to do everything at the end." You replied, leaning back in the kitchen chair you were occupying.

"Makes sense. Still, you should get some rest. You couldn't have slept for more than a few hours last night."

You turned your attention back to your laptop.

"Just... one more... sentence." You slowly mumbled out, typing away.

With a sigh, Kid walked off. Sure, he could easily force you off the laptop, but he'd rather keep the evening quiet. So instead, he decided to chill on the bed pulled from the couch and busy himself on his laptop.

30 minutes had passed before he decided to check on you again. He huffed, the corners of his lips twitching upwards in amusement. Your head rested on your forearms, soft barely audible snores signaled just how tired you were.

Kid made his way over to your sleeping form where he gently pulled you out of the chair and picked you up, making his way to the guest room Cora-san showed you earlier.

He made sure you were comfortable, pausing and looking you over when a whimper sounded from you and your brow furrowed. You didn't wake up though.

He sighed, his flesh hand sweeping your bangs off to the side of your face.

"Night' (y/n)." He softly rumbled, turning and taking his leave.

He paused when he shut the door to your room, instantaneously registering what he just did.

With a soft groan he ran a hand over his face.

Just what was he doing?

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Enana is Spanish for "short girl", typically used as a playful name for a girl who is much shorter than you. It was one of the nicknames mi Tía and some of mi primas gave me.


	14. Chapter 14

_"According to the text, "ser" is used with elements pertinent to the identity of ones' self or others, things which "take place" or "occur" in time, and possession. "Estar" is used for states of being, such as emotional or physical states or location of things and people."_

_"That doesn't really help explain why the teacher marked my translation wrong since both can technically be used for physical descriptions."_

_"Perhaps I didn't explain it well enough... "Estar" is to "condition" as "ser" is to "identity". Does that clear things up a bit more Law?" You asked._

_You and Law were sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for Cora-san to come back with dinner. To pass the time, you were helping Law correct his latest Spanish test. You weren't quite fluent in Spanish, but you knew enough since your so called father wanted you to be well rounded and ensured you received private tutors._

_As much as you hated him, you had to admit the private tutoring did put you ahead in education. You were even able to skip a grade and test out of certain public school requirements because of it._

_With an exasperated sigh, Law slammed his head down on the table._

_"This sucks! There isn't even a point in being required to learn another language when the class doesn't really aim to make people fluent and most students have no intention to become fluent." Law mumbled._

_You reached a hand over to pat his back. "You just have to get through one more semester."_

_The door knob began to jiggle, causing the both of you to start, only to relax when a familiar, tall blonde walked through._

_"I'm back and I brought curry!" He beamed._

_"Cora-san!" You jumped up to go hug him and make sure he didn't slip before setting the food down._

_It has been about eight months since Cora-san rescued you and Law from the family, and you couldn't be happier with your new life. Despite his clumsiness, Cora-san was sweet and loving, always finding a way to make you smile. Despite being moody and giving off a "bored, cool kid" vibe, you knew Law cared very much about you and loved Cora-san, even though their relationship had a rough start._

_Thinking about how the three of you had been through so much -escaping, relocating, finding a place to try being normal, and helping each other heal- you couldn't help but smile._

_Unfortunately, that smile fell from your face all too soon._

_It was late at night when Cora-san roused you from your slumber._

_"What's going on?" You yawned._

_A loud banging noise sounded before either of the guys could answer your question, causing you to start with a gasp._

_"Shhhh." Cora-san held a finger to his lips and then picked you up._

_The three of you made your way to his room, quickly and quietly._

_"Law, close and lock all the locks on my door." Cora-san silently ordered and Law immediately set about the task._

_You were still confused about what was going on. The alarm clock on Cora-san's stand read 2:00 a.m._

_You were tired and confused, and the constant banging wasn't helping. Your uncle set you down on the bed and proceeded to go to the closet, slowly moving up some floor boards._

_When he was done he motioned the two of you over._

_"I need you to stay hidden in here. Do NOT come out or make a noise, under any circumstances!" Cora-san whisper shouted._

_It was then you finally realized how serious his expression was, causing you even more concern._

_"Cora-san, what's going on?" You asked quietly._

_The sound of gun being fired now caused you to panic. You may not have been a stranger to gunfire, but hearing it this late in the night and being asked to hide under the floor, you could only imagine the worse._

_The family must have found you..._

_"No..." You breathed._

_Cora-san now picked you up and placed you inside the floor boards, Law jumped in soon after._

_"Wait Cora-" A large hand placed over your mouth cut off any more protests._

_"Stay quiet and hidden." Cora stayed serious for a moment before smiling and holding up a peace sign. "I love you both, it'll be alright."_

_With that the floorboards were replaced and the closet door could be heard closing._

_You huddled close to Law for comfort, only to feel even more frightened by his shaky breathing and the sound of furniture breaking and glass shattering, which became louder with every breath._

_Things weren't going to be ok._

_It wasn't long before the door to Cora-sans room was kicked off its hinges and the sound of wood splintering was heard._

_Voices soon followed but they were muffled. You only heard a few words, such as "come out", "can't really hide", and "under arrest"._

_Cora-san was obviously one of the muffled voices, but you didn't know who the other voice was until it shouted, "DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD STEAL WHAT BELONGS TO ME WITHOUT REPRUCUSSIONS?!"_

_A series of gunshots sounded, causing you to jump, but you held a hand to your mouth to keep from making any sounds. If either of you made a sound, there was no telling how harsh the punishment would be, if you were even allowed to live._

_A loud thump sounded against the closet door before silence overtook the room. It was so quiet you could hear coughing and wheezing gasps from the figure slumped against the door. Footsteps slowly creaked closer._

_"You are no brother of mine. You are just as weak as the pathetic excuse of father we had." The deadly calm voice of Doflamingo was heard clearly from your hiding spot._

_Four more rounds were fired. You bit down on your own hand so hard, in attempts to muffle your screams, that you drew blood._

_After a few moments, another voice was heard shouting._

_"It's the pigs! They're close! We gotta go!"_

_Doflamingo stood, listening for a beat or two, before his footsteps slowly faded out._

_You don't know how long the two of you stayed hidden in the floorboards. Sirens could be heard in the distance, but the sound of heavily strained breathing and blood dripping through the floorboards right in front of you was more prominent and alarming._

_The pressure of the room increased to the point that it felt as though your body was being compressed. You couldn't breathe, feeling as though you were choking on the blood filled air._

_A sadistically pleased smile followed by a laugh that could make the worst of sociopaths shudder flashed in your mind's eye before you broke your silence, screaming in agony._

You awoke with a start, eyes looking every which way, while you tried to calm your rapid breathing. You slowly sat up, bringing your hands up to your face where you rubbed your eyes.

"Just a dream." You sighed quietly.

You looked down with a frown. You don't recall going to bed last night...

With your face still set in a frown, you got up and made your way to the kitchen, checking the time on your phone.

_9:47 a.m._

It felt great to have slept in for once.

As you made your cup of coffee, you took notice of how it was rather quiet. Not that you expected Kid to be up and about, but a certain tall blonde wasn't bumbling about the kitchen. If you recall correctly, he used to be quite the earlier riser.

You were about to walk over to his room when you took notice of a note on his fridge.

_(Y/n),_

_I forgot to mention I am meeting up with my contact today for an exchange of information._

_I would have woken you up to come along, but you and your partner looked to be in need of some extra sleep. Sorry._

_I'll be back at around noon._

_Try not to worry too much._

-  _Cora_

_P.S. Call your cousin!_

You sighed, rolling your eyes.

At this time of day, Law would be busy at the hospital, so you wouldn't exactly be able to talk to him. Leaving a short message on his cell, you finished your cup of coffee and headed towards the basement.

You planned on looking the information over again and adding more details to your report thus far, but your eyes widened as your attention shifted to the other side of the basement when you turned on the lights.

_Why am I surprised?_

Since your attention was focused on the collected evidence and Cora-san the other night, you didn't even notice the dummies and small training mat section on the other side of the basement. Deciding your work could wait a bit, you moved closer to the little training area. You frowned some at the mats, as they would suggest Cora-san had another person to train with.

_His contact?_

On the shelf behind the B.O.B. dummies was a basket with gloves and tape.

_Tempting. It has been a while..._

Your current attire of leggings and a loose sweatshirt would allow you to have good mobility. You would have to avoid using full force with your right hand since your wrist was still recovering some. It was mostly healed by now since it was only a sprain.

Wrapping your hands and wrists up, adding extra tape to your right one, you started to throw a few light jabs and crosses. A right elbow. A left hook. Jab. Cross.

After a few hand combos you started working in some kicks.

It didn't take long for you to become fully engaged in your exercise. Your mind became clear of all thoughts. Unconsciously, you would practice one pattern and then switch it up. Your body worked on autopilot when you were this focused.

Unfortunately, you were so caught up in your practice that you didn't even notice another person had entered the basement. You didn't feel their gaze linger on you for few moments before they started to make their way over towards you.

You hit the dummy with a few simple jabs and crosses and moved back with the intention of hitting it with a spinning kick. However, your calf harshly collided against something hard, cold, and metallic halfway through the kick. You stumbled a little but didn't fall.

The collision snapped you out of your concentration and your (e/c) focused in on vermillion ones. Kid was holding your leg, which almost reached his jawline, with his metallic hand and a cup of coffee in his other. He looked rather amused.

A little shocked, you chastised yourself for allowing someone to sneak up on you.

Normally, at this point, people would say "good morning" to each other. However, due to your stunned state you only breathed out a shaky "yo". This only caused the amusement in Kid's eyes to grow.

Kid hummed in response, letting go of your calf and watching with keen eyes as you stumbled back a bit.

"Having fun down here?" He asked.

"Yeah.. It's been a while since I've trained. My wrist seemed alright, so I thought I'd take advantage of the equipment Cora-san has down here."

Kid hummed again before looking around the small training area and setting his coffee down on a shelf.

"Since you're feeling better, how about a re-match?" He asked.

"What?"

"I want a re-match. You got lucky the last time we fought. Besides, it'll be better to train against a moving target."

A small smirk made its way to your face. "Alright then."

The fight started out about the same as it did last time, with Kid not even giving you a second to take a stance upon entering the mat. He lunged forward with a right hook. Thankfully, there was more open space for you to move around, and you managed to dodge his attack. Stepping off to the side of his punch you immediately countered with a right round house kick to his gut. He clamped his metal hand around your lower leg, absorbing the kick.

You tried shoving your right leg downwards, in hopes of regaining some control but failed. You kept both hands up in defense, your right hand lower than your left, as Kid yanked you back towards him. You took advantage of the momentum from his pull and jabbed your right elbow into his side.

He grunted and his grip around your leg loosened for a short moment, but it was all you needed. You quickly shot your leg down to the ground, grabbed Kid's right arm which almost encircled your neck, and dove under it, making your way behind him.

You almost had him a shoulder lock, but he turned around and maneuvered his arm to a position that made it difficult for you to put him in such a hold. Knowing it was dangerous to stay tangled up for too long, you let go and leapt back, throwing out a left front kick.

Unfortunately, making that move was a mistake, for it threw off some of your balance and gave Kid the perfect opportunity to pretty much bull ram you into the back wall. You coughed as your back collided with the wall.

Pinning your body with his, Kid encircled your neck with his right hand. He smirked triumphantly at the position he had you in.

As a last attempt to try turn the tables, you wriggled your hands that trapped between the two of you. If you could get just one of them free you could finger pick the hand he had around your neck and create space between the two of you. However, as soon as you started to move Kid leaned his weight into you even more, causing you to release an irritated groan.

"Ok, ok, tap! Move your hulking mass." You groaned.

He chuckled before moving off to your right side and leaning against the wall.

"Your wrist still ok?" He asked.

"Sore and a little stiff, but overall it's fine." You responded, rubbing your right wrist some.

Kid peered over at you for a few moments, looking as though he were mulling something over, before he huffed and reached for your wrist.

"Here." He grumbled gruffly.

You cocked an eyebrow at him, giving him a suspicious look. Your expression soon transitioned to one of surprise when he started to gently work on your wrist and hand.

_What the..._

This was a gesture you never thought you'd be on the receiving end of from Kid. It wasn't entirely unwelcome though. His surprisingly, gentle fingers soothed over some of the pressure points on your palm, making you relax; almost to the point that you barely noticed him moving closer as he continued to circle his fingers around the side of your wrist.

His flesh hand then traveled up towards your face were it brushed away some of your bangs that had fallen loose from your ponytail, moving to hold the back of your neck. He bent lower, pulling you closer to him, where he captured your lips in a swift kiss.

You bristled, surprised by Kid's sudden action. Kid felt your reaction and moved to pull back, but stopped when your hand swiftly reached up to his jaw, silently asking him to stop.

The kiss may have been a surprise, but it wasn't entirely unwelcome.

The moment Kid felt you pull him back, the kiss became deeper and a little more demanding. His metallic arm made its way to your waist, the thumb rubbing lazy circles around your hip.

Your lips moved in sync with his as your arms wrapped around his neck.

If you took a moment to think about it, your actions and willingness to kiss him back surprised you the most.

It wasn't that Kid was unattractive; as a matter of fact, he was very attractive. Many may be frightened by his scars and fiery red hair, but you actually liked the way his features made him stand out. They made him unique.

Furthermore, your respect had grown for Kid during your time working with him. He had your back and helped you further your case, really on his own free will. 

To add icing to the cake, you shared some similar experiences. Kid knows the good and bad sides of being involved in a crime family. His experiences visibly impacted him and helped shape him into the person he is.

Just like yours.

Perhaps you were allowing yourself to be affectionate right now because he was now the only other person besides Law who could commiserate with you?

Whatever the case, you weren't able to dwell on it. You peeked your eyes open for just a moment and your gaze locked onto an important piece of information.

You broke away from the kiss. "Oh no.."

"Fuck, I shouldn't have done that." Kid growled out, palming his face.

"Wha-oh." Your gaze moved to Kid and you lightly shook your head. "No, not that – there's uh – it's just – look!" You wriggled out of the arm Kid had around your waist and made your way to the evidence wall.

You were mentally slapping yourself upside the head for not noticing this sooner.

_I am a fucking idiot sometimes!_

It was one of the photos Cora-san had near the far side of the wall. Off to the left side of the photo, was a slimy looking man you were all too familiar with, named Trebol. He looked to be conversing with a pale skinned man with long black hair. You recognized him as Caesar.

And in the middle, standing closer to Trebol was: "Sugar."

"What?" Kid questioned with a frown.

"It's Sugar." You took the photo down and sped towards Kid. "Sugar is Monet's younger sister! This photo is proof of a direct link between the Monet and Doflamingo."

"So, your vic. was even shadier than you thought. What's the big deal?"

"Sugar came to see me a while back, to drop off case files of Monet's and even gave a statement, playing the role of a mourning sister. She knew  _I_  was the one assigned the case which could possibly mean-"

"They've been closely tracking your every move this entire time." Kid finished your sentence.

The gravity of your words quickly sunk in and your eyes went wide.

_Oh no... No, no, no, no, no, no!_

"Cora-san!"


	15. Chapter 15

To say things had gone to Hell, would be an understatement. First, you rushed yourself, in hopes of quickly solving the case, and didn't stop to ask the important questions. Second, you contacted someone under witness protection without a warrant, violating both the programs policy and your duty as a GCPD Detective. Thirdly, because of you carelessness, said witness may now be in severe danger.

Fuck!

You rushed up the stairs, Kid hot on your heels. You weren't sure what your next move should be, and you needed time to think of different scenarios and how they could play out. Unfortunately, the sound of a car kicking up gravel as it rushed up the drive meant your time to come up with a plan was very limited. You ran over to the back door in the kitchen, thankful to find it was just Cora... And a brown-haired, tan skinned woman you have never seen before.

You opened the door just as they hurriedly approached it. "Cora-san! We need to leave before the fam-"

"They're coming. We know." Cora cut you off. "Violet was followed to our meeting spot. We managed to lose them, but it won't be for too long. Grab what you need and what evidence you can and get to the car!" Cora called as he took off down the hall to his room.

You followed after him, only you turned into your room. You yanked your bag off the floor and onto the bed, immediately beginning to rummage around for your gun, bullets and equipment belt. You strapped your belt to your waist before checking and loading your gun. You then hurried out the door with the intention of going to the basement, but stopped when you saw the brown-haired woman, Violet, looking out the window by the front door.

Her features held an ominous expression. Your brow furrowed as you walked closer towards her, momentarily forgetting about the evidence in the basement.

"I worked with them for twelve years, despising every second of it. But I kept it up and even put in the extra effort when I met Rosinante." She spoke softly, still looking out the window. "After all these years, I guess I never truly gained anyone's trust. I took every precaution I could and they still found out."

"The blame for this situation is not all on you. We each played a part." You commented.

She turned towards you. "You're Rosinante's niece I take it?"

You nodded. "Detective (y/n) (l/n)."

She offered you a small, but warm, smile. "He's spoken very fondly of you and a 'Law' ever since we met. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

You offered her a small smile and a curt nod before taking off towards the basement. Violet seemed nice, but you were still not positive if you could trust her. The fact that she knows about you and Law made you a bit uneasy.

There is definitely more to her. She doesn't seem like a typical source.

You were so caught up in your thoughts about Violet that you almost bumped into Kid at the top of the stairs.

"Watch where you're going, short stuff." He grumbled, shifting the boxes he was carrying.

"Gentlemanly as always even in a tense situation." You rolled your eyes. He was about to retort, but you cut him off. "I need you to do something for me." You looked around briefly before continuing. "I need you to ride with Cora-san in his car while I take violet in mine."

"We can fit four people in one car." He stated.

"Two cars will add some confusion and I need you with Cora-san because I trust you more than I trust Violet at the moment. For all we know, she could just be playing us." 

It was silent for moment. You watched as Kid's expression shifted from indifference to a scowling glare.

"Fine. Just don't do anything stupid." You grimaced at his cold tone as he stormed off.

What's with him?

With a frown and a shake of your head you descended the stairs. You grabbed a few files and snapped some pictures of the evidence wall with your phone since you couldn't take everything. You took one more quick look around before heading back into the main room and over to Violet.

"We're going to leave in two cars and I would appreciate it if you rode w- DUCK!"

You caught the barest of glimpses of a something in the distance out the window by the front door. Reacting on instinct, you grabbed Violet and pushed her to the floor, taking cover with her behind the nearby couch. Violet shrieked in surprise when guns started firing rapidly, shattering the windows, destroying the front of the house, and the living room. You lifted your head up, spotting Kid and Cora taking cover in the kitchen.

The cars were parked behind the cottage, and you needed to get through the line of fire in order to get to the back door in the kitchen. You took notice of Kid working his way closer towards the back door, Cora hesitantly following him.

You looked down at Violet. "We need get to the back door. They will stop firing eventually and when they do you must immediately get up and make a run for it. I will be close to cover you. Understand?"

She nodded her head vigorously, too shocked to speak.

You shifted and grabbed your gun, making sure the safety was off. You looked over to where the guys were, finding them to be right by the door, Kid reaching up with his metal arm to open it.

It was another minute or two, when the firing finally stopped. You got up and quickly yanked Violet up, pushing her in front of you. Kid and Cora stood as well, Kid immediately firing off two rounds as he went out the door, killing two perps who had made their way around back. He pulled Cora with him, covering him the same way you were covering Violet, as they made their way towards your uncle's car. You and Violet were quick to follow, heading towards your car. You fired off a round right before getting into the drivers side, killing another perp.

Both cars took off as soon as the keys turned the ignition, wasting no more time as they flew off down the drive. Gun fire soon picked up again, causing you to crouch low and Violet to shriek, ducking down with her hands over her head.

It became a bit safer from gun fire when you made it to the main road, but you were far from being in the clear. A few cars and motorcyclists were waiting, ready to take off in pursuit.

Kid and Cora, having come out the drive first, had gained a good amount of distance. You and Violet on the other hand, had to work on it. Things were made worse by the fact that you were currently out in the country. It wouldn't be easy to lose the perps tailing you.

Damnit! Time to improvise.

You didn't want to stay on the main road and, despite the fact that you weren't familiar with the area, you turned right when you came to the first cross-road. Violet shot you a look.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to throw them off. We're too exposed out on the main road."

You glanced up to the rear-view mirror, spotting four bikers behind you. You slowed just slightly, an action which didn't go unnoticed by your passenger.

"(Y-y/n)?"

"I know what I'm doing!" You barked.

Violet shot you a glare but you paid her no more attention. Two bikers closer to your side speed forward. You were hoping for only one to do that. Thankfully they weren't shooting at you.

You saw the other bikers behind you shift, coming up to Violet's side. Unprepared, you tried to shift the car closer to them, in hopes of bumping them with your car. You weren't going to make it though. They were coming up to fast.

Violet, however, was paying attention as well. With a loud grunt the older brunette woman kicked her door open, catching both bikers.

"Acelerar la mierda!!" She shouted.

You didn't need to be told twice and slammed your foot down on the gas.

The two bikers pulled back splitting off on either side, a move you were anticipating. Your gun was at the ready and you didn't hesitate to shoot the one by your side. Before the other closer to Violet could react, you turned into him, causing him to fly off the side of the road.

A quick glance in the rear-view mirror told you there were some more perps in the distance.

You stopped.

"What are you doing?"

You put the car in "park" and took out your phone. "If you are being honest about who you are, then I want you to take this, and go some where safe. There are too many perps chasing us."

"Don't be stupid."

A little late for that.

"Ensuring your safety, is not being stupid. Get somewhere safe, we'll all meet up later!"

You took off towards the bikers, getting on one of the least damaged bikes and heading back towards the main road, straight after the new arrivals. Violet tried calling after you, before driving off, but you didn't listen.

You needed to draw some attention to yourself. You needed to make sure no one else would follow either party. The family didn't hold back in the forces they sent.   
You sped towards the new arrivals, a black van and one biker. It was difficult, but you managed to steady yourself as you fired several rounds off, one eventually knocking the biker off. You grimaced as he fell in front of the van which didn't dare to stop. Instead, the van turned so as to avoid anymore of your random bullets.

You sped past it, eventually making it back to the main road where you caught sight of a few more cars on their way towards you guys. You fired several rounds, thankfully managing to hit a few tires. This caused a few rear-end collisions, halting anymore pursuit.

The van behind you though was quickly approaching, so you weren't safe yet. You sped off down the road on the other side of the main road, hoping to draw them away and eventually lose them.

These guys were determined though. It also didn't help that they had time to catch up while you were shooting at the other perps. They were practically right on your tail. The front end of the car almost hit the back end of your bike a few times. With not much of a choice, you abruptly turned down a gravel drive, attempting to get away from them quicker.

You didn't know if you would be able to make it back out safely from here, but you needed to try something.

You wound up the drive, eventually getting further ahead of them. A few houses and a barn came into your view. Getting an idea, you sped over towards the barn, making sure you were still well ahead of everyone.

You might get more time and distance if you hide from the perps for a bit. At least that's the plan you were going with.

The barn was dark and full of tools. The smell of mildew filled the air. Thankfully nobody was inside though. You didn't want to drag anyone into this situation, unnecessarily.

You ducked behind a large tractor, the bike was shut off and by your side. Everything was quiet for a while. You didn't hear the van or anymore shooting. You closed your eyes and breathed out a sigh.

Things got a little too close back there.

Still, you weren't quite ready to move out yet. Hiding for a bit longer might be best for the moment.

You took a few more calming breaths before checking your gun, finding only one bullet was left. Luckily, you were smart enough to grab an extra pack before leaving. You kept an ear out while you reloaded. Everything was still very quiet, until you heard a single persons approaching footsteps. You quickly shoved the case back into your gun, despite the fact it wasn't full yet, and kept still.

The barn door creaked open, but the footsteps had stopped. You risked a peak out, catching a glimpse of a small woman with teal hair.

"Sugar?" You spoke before you could stop yourself.

Sugar quickly raised a gun and fired, causing you to duck back down.

"I don't want to hurt you detective, please make this a bit easier on all of us." Sugar's soft voice spoke as she stepped further into the barn.

"Right back at you." You huffed.

Sugar fired a few more rounds, sounding closer now. "Come out."

"What happened to wanting to get justice for your sister? Your sister who was murdered by the very man you work for."

There was a small pause. You quietly maneuvered around the barn, still staying hidden. The silence was broken by a shaky breath being sucked in.

"Do you think I don't know that? Do you think I wanted that?" Sugar's voice was a bit unsteady now. "We were trapped into the family you know. Kind of like Violet. I never wanted my sister to die. And I don't want to do this, but..." There was a sharp, shaky exhale. "But I have to."

Sugar was crying now. The poor girl was clearly upset.

"No you don't." You jumped out and tackled Sugar, taking her by surprise. The girl dropped her gun due to being caught completely off guard. Straddling her was effortless on your end, for she was smaller than you.

"Sugar look at me." You spoke, trying to sound soft but firm. "You don't have to listen to their orders anymore. You can come with me, I can make sure no one harms you. Okay?"

Sugar turned her reddened, watery eyes towards you, sniffling as she nodded.

You waited a moment before getting up. "Okay." You said softly, rising to your feet and helping the young girl up. "If we're going to get out of here safely, I'm going to need your help."

"Beh-heh-heh!" A sickly laugh sounded behind you.

You whipped around, but couldn't react fast enough.

A sickly, snotty face of an old man you were unfortunately familiar with, and an unbearable searing pain in the middle of your abdomen were all your senses registered before everything went black.


	16. Chapter 16

It's been years since Kid had to shake followers in a high speed chase.

Starting out as an underling in Big Mom's Family, Kid worked as a driver. Didn't matter whether it was a crowded city or a quiet country road surrounded by woods, he always managed to get away if he had to. He was one of their best.

His skills were a little rusty, but Cora was very experienced with a gun. He managed to take out anyone who came too close while Kid lost the others who tried.

As of now, they have been driving for a little over an hour in complete silence. Kid kept flicking his eyes up to the review mirror and looking out the side windows every once in a while, just to make sure they were truly alone.

When he felt confident they were, he slowed down just a tad bit and relaxed his grip on the wheel.

"You're familiar with this area, correct?" Kid asked Cora, finally breaking the silence.

Cora nodded. "We should be nearing Knox Rd. where you'll need to take a right. There should be a general store a mile or two down it."

Kid grunted and gave a curt nod before silence settled between them once again. Kid didn't particularly mind the quiet, as a matter if fact, he preferred it. He wasn't particularly in the mood to chat. Unfortunately for him, your clumsy uncle thought it would be rude to not converse, especially since things have calmed down a bit.

"So... How long have you worked with (y/n)?"

"Since the start of her case." Kid stated simply.

"Really? The two of you communicate so well. I thought for sure you had been working with her for years."

"(Y/n) typically doesn't work well with others, myself included."

"Hmm, she seems to like having you around, from what I could tell the other day. Always asking for your input and listening intently whenever you spoke." Cora hummed.

Kid was about to respond, before his phone went off. He caught your name when he glance down at the cup holder contains his phone. Before he could say or do anything, Cora snatched it up and answered.

"(Y/n)!... Violet? Slow down, calm down... I can't understand.. What-"

Kid glanced over with a frown. "Put it on speaker."

"Violet, (y/n), I have you on speaker, can you re-"

"THERE IS NO (Y/N)!!" Violet's panicked wail cut off Cora, before he could finish.

"What?!"

"What are you saying?!"

The two males shouted their responses almost simultaneously.

"She's... she's not with me!" Violets shaky breathing was heard clearly over the speakers. "I'm so so sorry! I-I-I t-tried to stop her! But she got out of the car, and stole one of their motorcycles, intending to d-draw them away!" The woman stuttered over her words and took a few deep shaky breaths before continuing. "I... I couldn't stop her..."

While Kid didn't say anything, his grip tightened harshly on the wheel, to the point that a small 'creak' was heard from under his metallic hand and his neutral face shifted to one of fury. Cora cocked a brow towards the younger man, but said nothing.  
  
"Violet, mi dulce, cálmate, por favor." Cora spoke soothingly in her native language, knowing it might help calm her. "Kid and I are headed to the general store on Knox Road. Can you meet us there?"

After a few quivering breathes, Violet agreed.  
  


About 15 minutes after The phone call ended, Kid and Cora pulled into the parking lot of the general store. Kid silently seethed during the remainder of the drive while Cora quietly observed, unsure of how to console the angry red head.

The ire filled silence remained between the two for another 30 minutes until Violet arrived. The brunette immediately ran over to the men. Her eyes were still watery and red, showing that she was still crying.

Cora was the first to exit the car, meeting her halfway with an embrace. The blonde rubbed a comforting hand over the woman's shoulders, whispering soothing words to help calm her.

Kid gave the two a glowering glance, waiting until he saw them separate to start towards them.

"Can you please tell us-"

"Why didn't you stop her?" Kid's voice came out low and threatening, completely cutting off Cora's calm voice.

"Wh-wha-" The brunette couldn't keep her voice from trembling. Kid's vermillion glare was practically glowing, intensifying his already menacingly scarred features, causing fear to amalgamate with her sorrow.

When Violet didn't answer quick enough Kid stepped closer, leering down at her.

"I said why didn't you stop her?" He repeated with a growl.

Violet flinched, stumbling back with a broken gasp.

"Enough!" Before, Kid could continue his livid questioning, Cora grabbed his shoulder, keeping him from advancing any further.

The red head whipped around to meet the blonde's burning glare.

"Violet is not at fault here."

"Bullshit! She was with (y/n)! She could have stopped her!" Kid's glare slid back to Violet. "But I suppose letting her get herself captured was part of your plan right?"

"Hey!" Cora forcefully turned Kid back towards him. "Violet is not our enemy!"

"Is she?"

The grip Cora had on Kid's shoulder tightened as the nails on his other hand dug mercilessly into his palm as he clenched his fist. His glare sharpened as he looked down at the younger male. Being naturally calm and level-headed, it was rather difficult to infuriate the blonde to the point of almost losing focus.

Nonetheless, the older male ground his teeth together, successfully keeping himself from lashing out at the red head, and took a steadying breath. If he becomes angry, he would only be adding fuel to a fire on the brink of burning out of control.

"If she wasn't do you think we would still be standing around arguing?" Cora spoke evenly with less venom in his tone.

Kid's eye twitched as his scowl darkened. Before he could even answer though, Cora continued.

"I'm just as wanted by the family as my niece and there's over a decade of evidence in the trunk of my car. If Violet was truly a double agent, we wouldn't have even been able to step out of the car."

A good enough retort, a good enough reason to distrust the fear-stricken woman moving behind Cora, wasn't coming to Kid's mind. There was no denying the truth behind Cora's reasoning.

"Just because she may no longer be part of a crime family, doesn't mean she won't be held accountable." Kid shifted his burning gaze from Cora to Violet. "You better pray to whatever higher power you fucking believe in that (y/n)'s body shows up."

"Doflamingo wouldn't kill (y/n)." Cora growled out.

"Wouldn't he?" Kid challenged, nodding towards the scars peeking out from behind the collar of Cora's button up. "He hardly hesitated to kill you, his brother. What makes you think he'd spare his daughter?"

"Intel. She's one of the best G.C.P.D. detectives correct?" Cora asked.

Kid gave a curt nod, his features shifting into a glowering frown.

"Furthermore, she can be used as a bargaining chip for other crime families. In the event turmoil occurs between himself and Kaido, he would need help in order to take on a man more powerful than himself. Blood bonding is the strongest way to form an alliance with another crime family."

A louring silence hung in the air once Cora ceased talking.

Once Cora's words had sunk in, dark shadows seemingly overtook Kid's features. Heat from the silent wrath of the red head was felt by the two in front of him. Violet gasped and ducked further behind Cora, who shifted on guard, when Kid took a step forward.

Kid however, ignored them, trudging on passed them.

Only when he was out of earshot did Violet dare break the silence.

"Your niece actually works with him?"

Cora hummed. "I believe she's more than just a work partner to him. A man only acts as he did when he is blinded by strong emotions."   
  
  
  


*****  
  


It hurt to breathe.

That was the first thing your barely conscious mind registered.

Your torso felt as though it were aflame. The muscles attached to your rib cage were barely functioning as well, making your pained breathes short and shallow, as they refused to expand any further than the bare minimum required for you to not suffocate.

The smell of where mildew, rust, and blood flooded your nostrils, and you couldn't tell if the numbness in your extremities was due to the shackles tightly encasing your wrists and ankles or the chilling air of wherever you were.

(E/c) irises finally opened, and you blearily registered the dim lighting of the scarcely furnished room.

Your lips twisted as your features formed a disgusted grimace. You thought you would never wake up in this hellish prison again.

The dreadful sound of rotten iron hinges creaking drew your attention. Your gaze shifted over towards the door, catching sight of a familiar petite woman with teal locks.

"I see we're finally awake."


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Mature Themes Ahead*

  
  


"I see we're finally awake."

Sugar's sweet voice resonated through the room, followed by the clicking of her heels as she stepped in. She flipped two switches next to the door, turning on blindingly bright lights, before shutting the door behind her.

"There. That's better. I can't work on what I can't see." She held up a black medical case, flashing a smile.

She began walking closer to the chair you were chained to, pulling one of the few other chairs in the room with her. Once in front of you, the teal haired girl set down and opened the medical case before taking a seat herself. She observed you for a moment. Her lips still in a smile as she focused her gaze on your torso. You startled, hissing from the pain of your movements, when her hands approached you more closely.

A frown briefly crossed her features at your actions, before her soft smile re-emerged. Her hands grabbed at the material of your shirt, and ripped open what was left of the front, revealing your bra and a large patch of severely burned skin in the middle of your body, oozing puss with little rivulets of blood still streaming.

You grimaced having just now noticed the wound that was most likely the cause of your pain. Or at least most of it.

"Very nasty isn't it? It's the result of an elephant grade taser, something that is technically illegal here, but the law doesn't always apply to us now does it?" Sugar spoke as though she making causal conversation with you over a cup of tea.

"I don't understand." Your voice was dry and raspy. "What was that... Back in the barn?"

Sugar shrugged taking out some wound disinfectant from the kit. "A little bit of acting with some exaggerated feelings."

Your lips twisted in disgust. "Acting? So you don't give a shit about your sister, who was murdered by the man you work under?" She paused and you huffed. "You're a true sociopathic bitc-"

A slap, harsh enough to break the skin of your lip, forced your head to whip towards the right. You slowly turned back, running your tongue over the new cut on the corner of your mouth.

"Struck a nerve?" You forced a sneer, meeting Sugar's attempt of a threatening glare.

"I loved my sister." Her voice came out as a low hiss. "I was against having her murdered. Unfortunately, acts of treason cannot go unpunished. As one of the higher ranking members, her death served as an effective warning to anyone else who may think about undermining the family."

"You're actually defending that monster?" You asked in disbelief. "Guess being controlled by fear will do that to a person."

"It's not like that." Sugar spat through gritted teeth, her face beginning to rival Kid's hair.

"Bullshit! If you actually loved your sister, as you so claim, the two of you would both be dead."

Sugar dropped the Cotten swab of disinfectant, opting instead to grab the entire bottle of rubbing alcohol and pour it over your open wound.

Your body spasmed as a hoarse scream tore through your throat. It felt as though someone lit a fire on your stomach and then tried to freeze you with the fire still burning. Tears started to stream down your cheeks and you could feel your skin beginning to perspire.

Still twitching, you took painful gulps of air, now tainted with alcohol chemicals. A pained, exasperated groan ripped through you, as tried to chuckle.

"She tried to undermine the family! The family that took us in when we had nothing!" She threw the empty alcohol bottle at you, as though that would do more damage to you than its contents that were still eating at your wound. "The Young Master provided us a home, with food and warmth, put her through private education even!"

If the girl wasn't so young looking, her lividity, might be a bit more intimidating.

"She couldn't stay loyal though... She was planning to overthrow the Young Master!" Sugar snarled, leaning closer.

You sucked on your lip that was still bleeding.

"I loved my sister. But she had too much ambition and no gratitude. Her treason couldn't be ignored."

You spat blood in her face, causing her to shriek and jump back, running her hands down her face. She was back on you in a second, slapping you across the face yet again. The sting of the slap wasn't nearly as bad as the sting of your wound though.

With a slew of grumbled curses, Sugar haphazardly covered your wound with gauze. She furiously threw the remainder of the materials down into the case, as though they had taunted her, before jamming the case shut and storming off.

"The Young Master has not permitted us to give you food. You will get an audience with him later." She spat. "Be thankful."

A pained chuckle rumbled out of you.

"Go fuck yourself."

Sugar paused briefly, her leg twitched as though she were about to turn back around again. Nonetheless, she continued forward, switching off the bright lights and slamming the creaking metal door shut.

You breathed out a heavy sigh, glancing at the bandages on your stomach.

"You've really fucked up now (y/n)." You mumbled to yourself.

You turned your head upwards, releasing another sigh.

_At least they're safe though._

_Law's back home._

_Cora-san is alive._

_Kid..._

Your brow furrowed into a frown at the thought of Kid. A few weeks ago, you hated him to the point of threatening to arrest him. Hell, if you knew about his past involvement with the Charlotte family, you would have arrested him. He was a bothersome prick with a wrathful attitude, constantly pushing the boundaries of his job and getting in the way of yours. He's been a thorn in your side since before you were promoted to detective.

Or at least he was.

While his methods were less than ideal most of the time, he willingly helped you on day one of this case, saved you back at the warehouse, scoured through boring files of collected evidence, accompanied you last minute on a some-what illegal business trip, and...

You felt your cheeks flame up, and you looked down. Despite being in alone in a dimly lit room, you couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.

He kissed you.

Eustass Kid, bane of your fucking career, kissed you.

And you kissed him back.

A warm feeling spread through you, as you let your thoughts to dwell on that memory. He showed a soft side, one you didn't think existed, for the second time when he massaged your wrist. Despite his dark lips being chapped, the kiss started out soft and easy, before it became more demanding. You recalled the way his hands, flesh and metal, felt on your skin. You can still hear the low growl that rumbled from his throat when you nipped at his bottom lip.

A small frustrated groan slipped past your lips when you remembered how you ended it.

_Way to go (y/n)! Letting your work habits ruin a damn good kiss._

_At least bullets didn't ruin it though._

Your lips quirked up as your thoughts communicated.

You never predicted how close this case would bring you to Kid, or how it would make you view him in a different light. Who would've thought that jackass could actually relate to you on a personal level?

As of now, there's no denying your feelings towards Kid. However, you must keep in mind that you've only started to view him differently for less than two weeks. Furthermore, you don't know his reason behind kissing you.

Sure, it could have been because his feelings were genuine towards you, but it's possible that it meant nothing to him. Kid doesn't exactly seem like the type who would want something more than a one-night stand or a fling.

 _You never know though_.  
  


You don't know how much time had passed since Sugar left. Hell, you didn't even know how much time had passed prior to waking up. That was one of the worst things about the confinement hall. You were isolated, with no way of telling whether it was night or day, today or tomorrow.

Consciousness came and went for you. While conscious, thoughts of Kid, how you felt about him and how he might feel about you dominated your mind. Memories of Law and Cora popped up here and there, as well as the weighing thought of how trustworthy Violet truly is.

They kept you calm and distracted you from the pain of your wound, which was slowly transitioning from a stinging burn to a numb and tingly burn. You couldn't help but snicker softly at how Law would freak at the barbaric cleaning and patchwork Sugar preformed.

His demeanor may be calm and nonchalant, but he is very supercilious when it comes to practicing medicine. It's one of the qualities that made him one of the best.

And one of the most annoying.

Before you could dwell on the matter anymore, the steel door creaked open. Your (e/c) orbs widened as a familiar, sickly pink, ruffle of feathers appeared in your line of sight first. You couldn't tried your best not to tremble, but memories of your past were stirring up in your mind like a tornado. Your breathing became uneven as you tried to keep yourself from feeling small, weak, and helpless, like the broken child you once were a long time ago.

"Fufufufufuf! Well, well. It's been quite a awhile, hasn't it?  _My_  little sweet-pea."


	18. Chapter 18

 

_"_ _Well, well. It's been awhile, hasn't it? My little sweet-pea."_

_Ba-bump..._

_Ba-bump..._

_Ba-bump..._

_Ba-bump..._

A cold silence settled between you and the sneering sadist from your past.

Your heart was still beating, despite you forgetting how to breath – and you didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

"I hope you're well rested. There's so much for us to discuss!" Doflamingo spoke with sick smile stretching across his face. "Thirteen years... Thirteen years! How you've flourished! It's a shame you went and became a lowly government pig when you're capable of so much more."

Your wound felt like it was burning again as you stiffened and willed yourself not to tremble. Somehow, though there was a lump in throat preventing you from speaking, you managed to set your face in a glare.

Doflamingo leisurely settled himself into a chair, crossing his long legs. He was still a head or two taller than you even when sitting.

"Don't tell me the cat's got your tongue, (y/n). Even as a small brat you surely would have responded by now." The edges of Doflamingo's smile began to falter.

There was a beat of silence and you took a deep, shaky, breath through your nose, wincing as the it stretched the wound under the haphazard bandaging.

"I... Have nothing... to say... to you..."

Your dry response completely wiped the smile off of Doflamingo's face. There was another beat of silence that was broken by the sound of Doflamingo's hand smacking across your face, whipping your head to the side.

"What happened to the manners I raised you with?" He snarled. "Not even a hello? Nor an apology for angering me?"

"A fucking what?!" Your head snapped up at the word 'apology' and your fear temporarily diminished, replaced with disgust and rage.

"The last thing I owe you is a fucking apology you sadistic son of a bit–"

Another slap to the face cut you off mid-insult.

You let out a shaky breath and felt a thick fluid flow past your lips as you did so. It was blood. The rusted taste of it partially coated the inside of your mouth.

A heavy silence, filled with burning ire, fell between the two of you once more for a few beats.

"Why did you even bother bringing me back alive?" You hated how small your voice had become.

"Why wouldn't a doting father want to see his daughter alive?" You could hear the sneer in his voice. "Even if it meant having to bring you back here by force and giving you a punishment or two, I still have every right to see my little sweet pea."

You felt your gut wrench with sickness as every word fell from the psychotic man's mouth. Your head ached from your inner voice screaming while your body stung from the burning fire that was your wounded stomach.

The blonde psycho leaned closer, his tongue breaking through his sneer. You flinched at his proximity, choking on your own breath and shutting your eyes as you braced for whatever strike he was going to deliver.

His large hand came to rest upon your head, ruffling your tangled tendrils. Your eyes remained shut and you shuddered slightly when a dark chuckle rumbled out from him. "Despite all the trouble you've given me, I do believe we can still make amends. After all, you are an integral part of our family."

"I'm not a chess piece you can move around as you please." You spoke through gritted teeth, shooting him a glare.

"The weak don't get to decide how they live." He pulled back and came to a stand. "Rebecca!" He called out.

A moment later, you heard the squeaking of wheels on a cart and the slight clang of metal sounding outside the door. The sounds were soon cut off by the grim creaking of the door's hinges as it was opened and a young woman, who couldn't be older than a teen, stepped into the room.

"You called, Young Master?" Her voice was almost as dull as her brown, down-casted gaze. Her pink hair stood out strikingly against her pale skin.

"Clean up this mess, –" He gestured to you, "–and check her bandages. I want her presentable in 2 hours." With that, he turned and stalked out the door, slamming it shut with a loud creaking clang.

Rebecca sighed solemnly before wheeling her cart closer to where you were chained. As she approached you caught noticed she was wearing shackles around her ankles, which rustled against the floor with every step she took.

She came to a stop right in front of you, pulling a key out from the pocket of the white t-shirt dress she wore.

"Can you stand?" She asked as she began to unlock your cuffs.

"Probably." You responded, moving your legs hesitantly.

"Don't stand yet." Rebecca gently placed a hand on your shoulder. She looked over her shoulder for a few moments before reaching over to her cart. "I heard them say not give you food, but I managed to sneak some into my cart. Here, –" She pulled out a small tray with some rolls and a sealed bowl, "–it's beef stew and it should still be warm. I snuck it from the kitchen."

"How old are you?" You asked.

"16."

_Jesus fucking Christ... illegal weapons... drugs... and slaves..._

"It's going to be ok. I'm a G.C.P.D. detective." She looked up at you as you spoke. "And my partner is going to get us the fuck out of here."

You've never been one to pray, but you hoped to whatever mystical fucking being was out there that you didn't just lie and get both of your hopes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Mature Themes Ahead*


End file.
